


Stupid Mooching Kittens

by CherryHearts13



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Kitten-Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-21
Updated: 2014-05-21
Packaged: 2018-01-25 22:43:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 126,436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1665221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CherryHearts13/pseuds/CherryHearts13
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kim and Jade are two best friends, living fairly normal lives, but all that changed when ten adorable little kittens made their way into their lives.Turns out those kittens they took in were actually ninja from a different dimension. With ten new friends from a world unlike their own, their lives will never be the same.</p><p>The sequel, SMK2: Here We Go Again, is up on Wattpad under the same username.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Naming

The mid-afternoon sun shined brightly in the sky over a small Texas city. It was half-way through the second week of October. It was hot out, but the air was slowly growing cooler with every passing day.

At an auto repair shop, two girls were hard at work. Well… one was. The working girl was leaning over the left side of white Prius performing a routine tune-up and oil change, while the ‘observing’ girl leaned against the other side of the car, alternating between looking at something on her phone and handing the working girl tools when asked.

The 'observing' girl wore a blue jean mini-skirt with a black capped-sleeve t-shirt that had skeleton hands gripping the breast area from behind which exposed two inches of her stomach, and a pair of white ballet flats to match her white belt. She stood three inches taller than the working girl at five-foot seven-inches. Her golden brown hair fell down to her shoulder blades in soft curls. Hazel eyes shifted left and right as she read the small text on the screen of her phone.

The working girl was almost the complete opposite in the style department. She wore a pair of denim jeans, a burgundy form fitting tank top with her navy blue button up work shirt, that had her name embroidered on a white patch over her left breast, over it with the sleeves rolled up below her elbows, and a pair of black low-top Converse. Slightly wavy soft black hair flowed down to her waist, which at the moment was pulled up into a messy bun. Her dark brown, almost black, eyes focused on her work.

"Hey, Kim! Guess what," the hazel eyed girl questioned brightly as she handed her friend the green bottle and the funnel she had ask for. She slid her phone into the side pocket of her skirt, and leaned against the side of the car. Out of curiosity, she touched something inside of the car, and pulled her hand back quickly when it burned her.

“Jade, don’t touch that!” Kim reprimanded after hearing her friend hiss in pain. Getting tired of feeling the brown haired girl’s questioning gaze, she let out of soft breath as she continued working. “I don’t know, what?”

"I'm moving in! Ain't that exciting," Jade said jumping up and down clapping her hands excitedly.

"My dad’s letting you move in? When did you ask him," the dark haired girl asked turning away from her task of performing an oil change on a customer's car, as Jade had earned her full attention.

"Well... You see... I didn't..." she trailed off, looking anywhere but at her friend.

"So... You're just going to move in," Kim concluded, having had figured something like that had happened. Her friend was not exactly the type to plan ahead, and would wait to the last minute to do things.

"Yep! Pretty much," Jade confirmed.

"Why?"

"What, you don't love me? I'm hurt, right here," Jade whined pointing to her heart. Her finger was hovering above her right breast, as her face contorted in to a look reminiscent of a kicked puppy.

"Your heart is on the other side," Kim stated moving the girl's pointer finger to hover over where her heart was. The action caused her to get a bit of motor oil on her friend's hand, to which her friend grabbed a rag off of the giant, in her opinion, red tool box, and rub furiously to remove the oil. She continued, shaking her head at her friend's antics, "but that's not the point. It's just that… doesn't this seem a bit sudden. Not sudden, per se. More like out of the blue."

"Father is being an ass again. You know, favoring the Twin Terrors over me to impress the new wife, letting the wife blow all of his money on shopping sprees, new cars and all of that.” Her face scrunched up in disgust. “He stopped sending me money, and you know that my job at the art studio doesn't pay very well. It does pay well just not enough to keep living where I’m living. Basically, I don't have enough money to make rent, and I haven't even made a payment in about five months. I'm going to be evicted soon, and I really don't want to leave the city," the brown haired girl explained to the girl she considered a sister in a single breath. “But you know how much apartments in a big city can be, especially if I want to live in a nice area.”

"They can't evict you. You haven't even gotten a 30-day notice.” Kim paused for a brief moment before continuing slowly, “Or have you..." the dark haired girl trailed off not really wanting to hear her friend's answer.

"Yeah, they did. About twenty-three days ago," Jade responded nervously anticipating Kim’s explosive reaction. Just as the ebony haired girl expected, her best friend waited till the last minute to do something, like always.

"Jade!" Kim did not disappoint. Jade was lucky that her friend had completed the oil change, because if she hadn't she would have had be splashed with oil when her friend wildly swung her arms around; the empty bottle still firmly clutched in her left hand. Although, Jade would have preferred to have gotten hit with oil rather than be subjected to Kim’s Demon Glare.

"Shut up, Kim!" She paused, something in the distance catching her attention. "Hey do you hear that," Jade asked her friend.

"Hear what," Kim asked confused. She had not heard anything other than the sounds of her working. “Hey! Stop trying to cha-“

"Shh, listen," Jade ordered as she put a finger to Kim’s lips to silence the girl, and then a hand behind her ear to better hear the noise that had caught her attention.

Kim sighed. Taking her friend’s word, she tried to hear what Jade had heard. She closed her eyes to block off any distractions, so as to better focus on the mysterious sound Jade spoke of.

Meow.

Meow.

Meow.

"A cat," Kim asked incredulously. "Jay we get lots of stray cats wandering around here." The shop only attracted stray cats because she would always feed them, but she wouldn’t tell her father that.

"I know, but what if he's hurt with no one to take care of him. The poor little injured kitty could die," her friend retorted with a very convincing face of distress. Jade knew that pulling the injured animal card would work on her friend.

"I hate you. Using my weakness on me like that," she grumbled out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hey, It's not my fault that you're so caring and have to take care of every injured or sick, animal or person that comes your way," Jade reasoned to her sulking friend. She had a point.

"Shut up! Let's just go find the damn cat." Kim closed the hood of the car with a huff, and walked away in search of the elusive cat.

The two girls began searching throughout the garage. They spent about ten minutes searching and found not one but nine kittens. During that time an old lady arrived to pick up her car.

"What the hell! I only heard one cat meow, not nine," Jade exclaimed in shock. She stared at the nine kittens looking up at them. They were all sitting around where Jade was standing looking at the two girls curiously.

"My, my, my! Those are some nasty looking rats," the old woman muttered. Then she turned her attention to the girls and looked at them in disgust. She looked both girls up and down mumbling about how proper young women should behave and dress. She continued mumbling that there was no place in the auto repair industry for women and how they shouldn't be exposing so much skin, as she made her way into the car.

"Jade. Don't," Kim warned her friend before she could say anything. "As much as I would like to set that old hag on fire, I can’t. She's a valued customer, and she always tips generously." She watched the old woman get in her car and drive away with a scowl on her face.

"Wow. That must really suck for you." At that point the nine kittens were looking between the two girls that were lounging on the cement floor, listening to their conversation with more interest than cats should be capable of.

"You haven't seen the rest of it yet." Kim’s face contorted into one of pure disgust.

"What do you mean?"

"She likes to flirt with my dad. She clings onto his arm like a fucking leach, saying nasty stuff. Stuff that I never wanted to hear. The mental pictures I got were horrible. One time she gave him a picture of herself in sexy underwear," at that she involuntarily shivered. "Hell, she even proposed to him one time."

"Ewwww! No, just no. Did she ever say anything else? About you, I mean."

"Well... She called me fat one time, and told me that I needed to exercise more and go on a diet. Then there was another time where she told me that it wasn't healthy do be dying my hair such a dark color. Then I told her that I don't dye my hair, it's natural," she paused to think. "Oh, and let's not forget the first time I met the hag. She didn't believe me when I said that my dad was my father. She kept calling me a liar. Saying something about how it was impossible since my skin is so light and his is so dark. Honestly, just because my skin tone is a few shades lighter than his does not mean that he isn’t my father. I have his eyes, his hair, hell I even have his face. That, and he was just too young to have a child my age. She needs to go up in flames or get blown up!" At that, the two girls thought they heard one of the kittens snickering and shout ‘Katsu!’ They shared confused glances before shrugging it off.

"Damn... and since I'm going to be moving in soon, I'm going to be seeing a whole lot more of her," Jade sighed in defeat to which her friend just smirked. The brown haired girl tilted her head to the side as she examined the kittens before her with a critical eye. "Do you think we should name these little guys? Some of them are weird colors, but they’re still cute." Jade shot her friend a questioning glance. “Are we keeping them?”

"Sure why not,” Kim said with a lazy shrug of her shoulders, answering both the other girl’s questions.

Jade picked up one of the kittens at random. The kitten had indigo colored fur with pale lavender eyes. They would have thought she was blind, but the way the little kitten shied away when Jade's hands got near proved otherwise.

"Bluey!" Kim face palmed.

"You suck at this," she stated.

"Oh, like you could do any better."

"What about... Blueberry or Berry?"

"Okay... so maybe you are better at this. You and my future husband get to name my future kids. We now dud thee Berry," Jade said in a false British accent before putting the kitten down.

She then picked up the second blue furred kitten with amber colored eyes. She had a strange gray marking just below her mouth. "I would say Amber but that's mommy dearests’ name. Maybe if she were a dog."

"How about Mari? It would be short for mariposa," Kim asked.

"What's a mariposa?"

"Mariposa is Spanish for butterfly."

"That is so pretty," Jade said with a sigh. "Hey!" Kim looked at her in confusion. "You named both of the blue cats, but you hate the color blue."

"I don't hate the color blue. I just never wear it because it makes my skin look orange, and I don't want to look like I work at a chocolate factory," she explained. Then she started to hum the song from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory.

"Heh heh. You’re already short, so all need is green hair dye. Or blonde hair dye and just leave it in for too long," Jade stopped her pondering at the return of the Demon Glare. A few of the kittens backed away from the dark haired girl in fear. "Okay so no green hair. What do we name this one?" In her hands was a golden blonde kitten with icy blue eyes, and a tuft of fur covering his left eye.

"I don't know," Kim said, her eyes softening as she inspected the cat. "Wait... Isn't he the one that got all excited when I was talking about making the old hag explode?" As if to answer her query, the kitten meowed excitedly, and made that ‘Katsu’ noise again. "I think this cat might be a terrorist in disguise."

"Oh! I know. We can name him Dynamite.” She paused. “Hey! I actually came up with a good name. I deserve a pat on the back," Jade said while patting herself back, as Kim muttered something that sounded like 'idiot.’

Jade then set Dynamite down and picked up another. The kitten had brown fur with two downward facing purple triangle on her cheeks, and onyx colored eyes.

"Ooh, we can name this one Fang. Because, you know, the purple markings look like fangs. Man I'm on a roll," she exclaimed happily before setting the kitten down and repeating the process with another kitten. "I would say Spot, but that's more of a dog's name. Tiger! He looks like a tiger,” Jade said motioning to the orange cat’s fur with its black markings. “What do you think, Kim?"

"I like it. His purple eyes make him seem like a little bad ass," she stated scratching behind the kitten's ear before setting him down. Jade suddenly jumped up and sprinted across the room. "If you're getting into my dad's stash, bring me some beef jerky," Kim yelled to her friend. She came back about three minutes later with a Styrofoam cup and a plastic bag. "Did you bring the stuff," Kim whispered.

"Yeah, I brought the stuff. Do you have the money," Jade questioned in her best impression of a gangster.

"Bitch, I'm going to let you live here! You best be giving me my stuff free of charge."

"You my friend are addicted. I suggest rehab," she joked throwing her friend the package of beef jerky. Kim just stuck her tongue at her friend before biting off a piece.

"Yeah I could see the headlines now.” She lifted her arms up in the air and spread her fingers out. “Seventeen year old girl enters rehab for beef jerky addiction.”

“Don’t forget those candies that your dad makes us. Cherry Hearts are so good,” Jade said dreamily.

“Looks like you’re coming with me to rehab,” Kim smirked.

“They tried to make me go to rehab. I said no, no, no,” the two girls sang in unison, albeit a little off key, before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

“Come on, we still have four more kittens to name,” Kim wheezed, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

"Hmmm. Pinky, Lemon, and we could just get rid of the last two. Black cats are bad luck."

"Or we could just get rid of you. Besides I was born on Friday the 13th, and I'm not bad luck."

"Well that explains how you're so damn clumsy. Always tripping over everything and nothing, even your own feet," Jade stated as she brought the steaming noodles of her ramen to her mouth.

"Hey! I resent that. Let's see... The pink one with the sea foam green eyes that remind me of the springtime, can be named Blossom. The blonde one with the really bright blue eyes, judging by the way he’s eyeing your food, can be Noodle." Jade set her cup beside her and the cat now dubbed Noodle ran towards it, sticking his head in.

"Damn cat is eating my ramen!" Kim could only laugh at her friend’s misfortune. Jade noticed something that freaked her out a bit. "Eh!"

"What?" Kim asked, giving her body a once over before looking at Jade with questioning eyes.

"The two black cats are just sitting there staring at you. They've been doing that this entire time. It's starting to get creepy,” Jade explained. “Maybe they think you're a witch or something."

"I'm not a witch." Kim leaned forward to pick up the two black kittens. They looked almost exactly the same. They both had black fur and onyx eyes. The only difference was that one had shaggier fur on his head while the other’s fur spiked up. "So you two must be brothers. How cute! Well since you two are brothers, I want to name you guys something similar... Oh I know. I'll name you Crow," she said to the kitten with the longer fur. To the kitten with the spiky fur, "and I'll name you Hawk."

"You named them after birds. You do realize that cats eat birds, right?"

“You named a fish Moose once,” Kim retorted, defending her choice in names.

“Hey now-“

Meow.

"Whaaa! I thought we had all the cats," Kim questioned when she heard the meowing. The two black cat that rested in her lap remained silent as she pet them, and the other kittens had been silent for the most part.

Meow.

"Well, looks like we missed one."

"Ten kittens. My dad's going to love this." 


	2. Blaze...You're Late!

The meowing stopped. Kim sighed and looked down at the cats that were resting comfortably on her lap. She started scratching them both behind the ear, only to stop when she felt something rubbing against her left thigh. She reached her left hand out beside her and picked the mysterious cat up.

With the cat held out in front of her, she took a good look at the tardy kitten. He had shiny white fur, and charcoal colored eyes. His left eye was shut, with a diagonal pale pink scar running down it. Kim, being the sap that she was, couldn't turn away an injured person or animal.

"Aww! You poor baby kitty," she cooed, pushing the black cats, much to their dismay, off her lap, and cradled the white cat in her arms like a newborn. The cat in her arms started to squirm out of embarrassment. Then he stretched out on her lap liking the way it felt when she started stroking his fur.

The other kittens seemed to be laughing at the white cat. Most of them meowed once happily to show their amusement. Noodle was expressing his amusement the most. Blossom mewed a few times, but Noodle... He was rolling around all over the place and jumping on the others. It was when he jumped on top of Hawk, did he stop laughing.

Hawk hissed at Noodle, which only prompted Noodle to hiss back. As the two cats fought, everyone, the two girls and the eight other kittens, just sat back and watched. They started circling each other, waiting for the other to strike first. Noodle was the one to make the first move when he pounced at Hawk with his claws out. The two cats started fighting all over the floor. They would back off only for one of them to hiss, and then the fight would start over again. 

"Jade you should stop them. You know, before they kill each other."

"No. They'll just claw my hands. I don't really want cuts on my hands," Jade retorted hold up her un-clawed hands for Kim to see. Kim's eye twitched.

"Ugh! Jade stop being such a girl!"

"Well, what do you want me to be... a man?"

"I didn't mean that. I meant stop being such a prissy bitch, but if you want to be a man... I will still be your friend," Kim replied with a smirk.

"You're such a jerk. Fine, but if I get any scratches you're going to pay for my next manicure," she said with a glare.

When the girls looked down at the fighting cats they saw Blossom hissing at them both. Hawk and Noodle turned to look at her, and then they continued their fight. Blossom got angry when they ignored her, and calmly started walking over to the two brawling kittens.

The yellow cat noticed her first, and started backing away slowly with his ears pressed down firmly against his head. The black cat just sat down calmly, almost as if he knew the little pink cat wouldn't dare hit him, and smirked at the bright yellow cat. When she got in front of the black cat her eyes narrowed and she hissed at him then head-butted him before chasing after the yellow cat. The black cat's eyes were wide, and then narrowed when the other black cat meowed teasingly at him.

Blossom chased Noodle around the garage while hissing at him. When they made it back to where everyone was sitting, Noodle sighed in relief having had lost Blossom, but when he least expected it, she pounced on him. She head-butted him, as she had done with the smaller of the black cats, and then walked away. Noodle mewed out in pain, which made Blossom round on him. She stalked towards him, hissed, bit his ear and walked away and sat down between Berry and Fang.

"Okay," Jade said looking at the cats.

"Weird ass cats," stated Kim.

"Though they are entertaining," Jade pointed out tilting her head to the side.

"As long as they don't break anything I'm good." Kim raised a brow in the cat's direction. "So... what do we name him," she questioned holding the white cat up facing him towards Jade. She then turned him around to face her, putting them nose to nose she asked, "What should we name you? You're fur is white. Clouds are white. Cloudy? No. Fluffy? No, you're not exactly fluffy. Snowflake? No. Snowball? No, when I think snowball I think of fat cats. Pearl? No that's a girl's name. Lightning is white, but I don't think Lightning would make a good cat's name."

"Hey, Kim, what about-"

"BLAZE! We can name you Blaze," Kim yelled making the white cat jerk back with wide eyes. "Thanks Jade! We should take them inside so they don't hurt themselves down here."

With that said, she scooped up the two black cats, who hadn't moved from her side, with her right arm, and carried them through a door on the other side of the garage and into the reception area.

When in the reception area she walked out from behind the receptionist's desk to the entrance, turned the lock on the door and flipped the sign so that it read 'closed.' Then she went up a spiral staircase that was located to the left of the desk. At the top of the staircase was a door that led into the five bedroom loft apartment that she and her father had shared for about five years. She opened the door and went in, leaving it wide open for Jade, and gently lowered the three felines to the floor before making her way to the bathroom.

The three cats took the time while the human was away to familiarize themselves with their new living arrangements.

When someone first walked into the apartment they would see the living room area to the left. A charcoal gray, tufted-back sofa, was pushed up against the wall adjacent to the wall witch housed the large bay window to the left, along with a matching ottoman to the right of the sofa, two black barrel chairs to the left, and a light gray driftwood coffee table in the center of it all and matching side tables between the barrel chairs and on the left of the sofa. Directly across from the sofa was a rather large flat screen TV centered on the wall with a stand beneath it housing various game consoles, and a studio bookshelf on either side filled with vast movie and game collection.

To the right were the kitchen and dining room areas, with the kitchen being further back and the dinning space adjacent to the front door. The dining table was a simple yet modern light gray rectangular table much like the coffee and side tables with four blue parsons' chairs. The kitchen cabinets were a bright white offset with black fixtures and stainless steel appliances. The island was painted a matte black and, like the countertops, had a white Quartz top with three black barstools.

Then to the back wall, between the living room and the kitchen area was a hallway hidden by a staircase that led to the second floor of the loft. Going down the hallway would lead to two bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms. Up the stairs, would lead to three more bedrooms and three more bathrooms.

Back down in the garage, Jade watched her friend's back as she walked away with the three cats in her arms. Then she looked down to the remaining seven cats on the ground. She stood up straightening out her outfit before walking over to the same door Kim had exited. Before walking through the door, she turned back around and called out to the cats.

"I am not going to carry you guys like Kim. You'll just get fur all over my shirt." She held the door open with her foot while she stretched out to reach the system's control panel on the desk. She hit a few buttons that operated the garage's doors and shut off all the lights.

She made sure all the cats were inside the room before letting the door swing shut, then she led them up the staircase and into the loft apartment, which was also going to be her new home, and closed the door right after the last cat entered the room. She then sat down on the dark gray sofa, laying her head down on the armrest facing Kim, who sat on the barrel chair closest to the sofa. She watched as her best friend placed the three cats she was holding on the floor, and then turned over to face her.

"So... ten cats. What are we going to tell my dad? He should be back from that house call soon."

"Well... he is your dad. So that means you should tell him," the brunette replied with an award winning smile on her face.

"Hey you want them as much as I do, and you're going to be moving in soon, so you can help me take care of them too," Kim reasoned.

"No, I don't," Jade sang.

"And why not?"

"Well, if I'm not here when your dad gets back, then I don't have to take care of the cats. I can just play with them and be on my merry way. No feeding them or cleaning up after them." With that she stood up and started to run to the door.

"Jade! You're going to help me!" Kim got up and started to run after her friend.

The ten cats could only watch as the two girls ran around the apartment. Jade was trying to make it to the front door, while Kim was just trying to prevent her from leaving.

That was not what Ren, Kim's father, expected to see when he returned home from a house call. The call turned out to be from an extremely desperate woman who tried to seduce him all throughout the process of fixing up her not-so-broken down car. She had kept running her hands through his hair and up and down his arms and body distracting him, and made the car fixing process drag out. He was not exactly the dating type. It was not that he didn't want to date, it was just that all the women that were attracted to him only wanted him for his looks. He wanted a serious relationship, but they only wanted a short-term fling. It had been a long morning, and all he wanted to do was take a shower and spend the rest of the day watching TV and relaxing on the couch with a cold beer.

Too bad nothing ever goes as planned. When he opened the front door, he really should stop being so surprised; he found everything in a mess. The sofa was upturned, and there were ten cats sitting there staring at something. All the chairs in the kitchen area were scattered all over the floor. Right in front of him was his seventeen year old daughter and her eighteen year old best friend. To be more precise Jade was on her stomach attempting to crawl to the front door, and Kim was holding onto her waist trying to make her stay. To top it all off they were throwing insults at each other.

"-at least my ass can fit in a pair of jeans!"

"At least I have an ass!"

"I have an ass, it's just little!"

"Sure you do. Well at least I don't have to be constantly worrying about my boobs popping out of my shirt all the time!"

"Shut up, Slut Butt!"

"Let me go, Big Ears!"

"Leave my ears al-"

"Girls!"

"WHAT," the girls yelled in unison. They paled when they saw Kim's father standing there in the door way. He had the same dark brown almost black eyes and ebony colored hair as his daughter. He was six feet tall, had tanned skin, and was well built. He wore a look of exasperation mixed with tiredness and oil on his face.

Without taking his eyes off the two troublesome girls, Ren calmly opened the coat-closet door, grabbed two jackets, a white blazer and a black pull-over with a silver Bat-Symbol on the front, and two bags, a giant pink tote and a burgundy hobo bag. He handed the girls their jackets and walked over to the cats, taking their bags with him. One by one he picked them up and paced five in each bag, his eyebrows crinkling at some of their fur colors. He stood back up and handed the girls their bags, before pulling out his wallet and taking out his debit cart, and handing it to his daughter.

"If you're going to keep these cats you're going to need to buy a few things. Buy them the necessities, collars, name-tags, and some toys. I will not have them scratching up the furniture." Having said that, he pushed the girls out the front door. He let out a sigh of relief, and walked over to the fridge.

"There better still be some beer in here."


	3. Buying Cat Supplies

"I can't believe your dad kicked us out," Jade ranted as she stomped down the stairs, adjusting her bag along the way to ensure that the kittens weren't being suffocated. She stalked across the lobby and pushed open the doors, holding it open for her friend.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Kim asked walking out the door, not bothering to look at the other girl.

"Nothing."

"Liar! What's wrong with you?" she questioned again as they crossed the parking lot.

The mall was directly across the street from the shop. It didn't take long to cross, especially during working hours when everyone was usually trapped inside. Considering that it was only 3:00, they had about an hour be for rush hour, when everyone would be on their way home.

"It's nothing. Well... it's just that I want to get to the pet store so I can get these cats out of my bag. I just don't want them to pee on anything important. I keep my best paint brushes in there," Jade whined. "Besides I don't think that a few of them like me."

"Understandable."

"AGH! I hate when you do that!"

"Do what?"

"When you give me those one worded answers."

"Oh... would you like me to elaborate?" Kim asked as she gave her best friend a sidelong glance.

"Yes." Jade threw her arms in the air in exaggeration.

Turning on her heel the ebony haired girl began to walk backwards just as they had entered the mall parking lot. "It's understandable that you would think some of the cats hate you. I mean, you did want to get rid of two of them just because they're supposedly bad luck. You wanted to name one Bluey, one Pinky, and another Lemon. Let's not forget that you insulted a few of them as well," Kim explained while waving her hands around for further emphasis.

"You insulted one too!" Jade pointed an accusing finger at her friend. "Then you practically hugged one to death. Yeah, I get that you're a sucker for injured people or animals, but don't add to their pain." Kim just stuck her tongue at her. "Real mature, Kim!"

“We’re here," Kim droned.

The girls pushed through the entrance doors, and glared at each other when they got stuck in the door. Not but a few seconds later, the two found themselves being gently prodded aside by an older gentleman.

Jade grabbed a red shopping cart, and the two began taking the cats out their bags and placed them in the shopping cart. Jade started to push the cart down the aisles. She went down the cat food isle first. Skimming the various types of food she grabbed a five-pound bag. She then went further down the aisle and picked up four large food and water bowls. Going down a different isle, she picked up a box of kitty litter, making sure to got the best kind, even if it was the most expensive one on the shelf, before picking up a litter box.

It was at that moment when she was placing the litter box in the cart that she realized it was quiet. To quiet. She turned around and saw Kim running up to her with a small cardboard box in her hands and a piece of beef jerky in her mouth.

"You ditched me to go get beef jerky! Didn't you already eat some before we got here?" Jade questioned, hands on her hips. She hadn't even realized that the other girl was gone the entire time. Did those tiny feet of hers even make a sound?

"You can never eat too much beef jerky," she muttered with a disbelieving stare. "Besides I got you some of those soft pretzel bites from that Pretzel Maker place that you love so much." Kim pulled the cup of pretzels out of the tray and held it out in front of her best friend's face all the while giving her a small smile.

"Did you remember to get extra cheese" the hazel eyed girl questioned, a look of utmost seriousness on her face. Kim held the tray up with her leg and pulled out three little cups of melted cheese sauce and held them out. "You are forgiven. Now, give me my pretzel cup.”   
Kim handed the medium sized cup filled with the pretzel bites to her, and handed her the three little cups of cheese. Then she pulled out a boat-tray that had her beef jerky in it and followed after Jade to go get name tags made.

"Hello ladies," an elderly woman with graying blonde hair and severe light blue eyes lined in black greeted with a kind smile. She looked to be in her late thirties, early forties.

"Hello," the two girls greeted in unison.

"What can I do for you two today," the woman asked, her bright red lips stretching into a kind smile.

"Well, we recently found some stray kittens, and decided to take them in. So we came here to buy them... you know, cat stuff," Jade spoke politely, then gestured towards the shopping cart, "We have them right here with us."

"Oh those poor kittens. What did their previous owners do to them," the older woman cooed picking up the blue cat, and petting her head. "It's those darn pet shows. They do all these crazy things to their animals, just for money." The old woman looked around cautiously before whispering to the girls. "Why, just the other day a woman walked in with the cutest dog. He was so adorable, and when she walked out he was green, with a snake shaved into his fur. The woman told me it was his theme, Adam, Eve, and the serpent." The woman put a hand to her heart. "It's just terrible what she did to her dog and just for money no less," she said shaking her head.

"That's just terrible," Jade replied hesitantly, her polite smile faltering slightly at the woman's intense stare.

"So, dears what names do you need printed," the woman asked, pulling out a sheet of paper and pen. "Oh! I almost forgot. What tags do you girls want?" She ten motioned to a display case that held name tags in different shapes and sizes.

"Well we could get the girls' names on the heart tags, and the boys' names on the circle tags," Kim said in a small voice, motioning to the display case.

Jade just rolled her eyes at her friend's behavior. When it was just the two of them, Kim could be the loudest but put her with people she doesn't know and she'll nearly shut down and close in on herself. Jade really needed to get her to overcome what ever it was, but to help her get over whatever was wrong... she needed to know what went wrong. Jade had no idea what could be bothering her friend but that didn't mean she would give up.

"And what are the names," the woman asked, sending a kind smile in the shy girl's direction, breaking Jade out her thoughts.

"The names for the girls are Blossom, Berry, Fang, and Mari. For the boys they are Blaze, Noodle, Hawk, Tiger, Crow, and Dynamite," Jade spoke with the confidence she wished her best friend could have when speaking to people other than her or her father. Being a condescending and sarcastic little shit didn't count.

"Okay. Here is your receipt." She handed the girls a slip of paper. "Just hand it over to the check-out clerk whenever you're ready to pay. Come back here in about half an hour, and your name tags should be ready." The girls heard the old broad mumble about how they gave the cat weird names, as they were walking away. They walked into an isle that held collars and pet toys.

"What does that old woman mean by weird names?" Jade complained when she was sure that the woman could no longer hear her.

"I know! What does she want us to name them? A person's name like... Oh, I don't know... Toby!" Kim had thrown her arms above her head to emphasize her point. Unknown to the two chatting girls, most of the cats resting in the cart, gave an involuntary shudder after hearing the name. Though the blonde one with the sky blue eyes seemed a little bit down at the mention of the name.

"So what color collars should we get for the cats?"

"I don't know. You're the self-proclaimed Fashionista. You choose."

"Okay!" Jade exclaimed happily, the slight insult going way over her head. She then turned around to look at all the different colors of collars. She picked several different colors. She had picked one black, one silver, one purple, one green, one yellow, one orange, one navy blue, one sky blue, and two red collars. "I got the collars. What's next?" Kim took her phone out of her pocket, and checked the time.

"We still have twenty minutes left. So, I guess we could go look at some toys and then go pay. That way, we can just get the name tags and go."

"Sure, whatever."

"To the toy isle!" Kim shouted as if she was about to enter battle before she ran out of the isle leaving Jade behind with the cats.

"If only she could be like that around other people, she'd be golden," Jade said to the kittens. The kittens seemed to understand her, and meowed in agreement with her. She had a look of shock on her face. "Can you guys understand me," she questioned picking up the blonde cat with sky blue eyes, and bringing him up to her face. The other cats seemed to panic a bit. He just meowed at the attention and licked her nose. He started to sniff her a bit until she let out a laugh. The other cats let out a sigh of relief when their cover was not blown, pun not intended. They did not know if they could trust the two girls and the man. "I guess I'm just imagining things. I mean, you guys are just cats. It's not like you're people who somehow got turned into cat." She shook her head. "I really need to stop reading all those stupid fan fictions that Kim keeps sending me. I mean Loki turning the Avengers into cats and sending them to another dimension. Or even Crazy Cas sending Sam and Dean away to protect them. I'm just surprised she hasn't found anything like that for Nightwing."

When she found Kim, the girl was looking at all the types of cat toys while holding onto a scratching post that was only four inches away from being as tall as her. She looked really weird holding it while looking at toy mice.

"Hey Jade! Which pack of mice should we get? The gray ones, or the white fluffy ones?" She was balancing the scratching post, and holding two packages of toy mice, one in each hand.

"You look pretty stupid right now," Jade said commenting on how her friend looked at the moment. She walked over to her friend and took the scratching post from her and putting it in the cart. She put all the cats on the floor, "Okay, Cats! Go and find some toys you want! GO!"

"Jade, NO!"

"Jade, YES!"

Noodle and Dynamite started running up and down the aisle, jumping on the shelf when they saw something that caught their attention. Hawk was eyeing a package of stuffed balls that resembled tomatoes.

"Hey! What about these ribbons," Kim said grabbing a stick that had a ribbon attached to the end. She started twirling it around Crow, Tigger, Fang, and Mari. The cats begrudgingly played their parts.

Jade walked around following the cats. She put whatever caught their attention into the shopping cart. She got the tomato balls in the cart for Hawk. Balls with bells inside for Noodle. Cute little sequin bows for Blossom, Berry, Fang, and Mari. A small round device that made popping noises when he presses down on it for Dynamite.

"That toy is going to annoy the Hell out of us," Kim stated while waving the ribbon in front of all the cats, urging them to follow her to the check-out line.

Jade followed after them with the shopping cart. When they got to the line, they hurried up and put their items on the check-out counter, and handed the man the name tag receipt. Once they finished, the two girls headed back to the name tag counter. They still had some time, so they sat on the tiled floor. Jade pulled out the bag that held all of the collars.

Together the two girls took the collars out of their packages, and started putting them on their respective cat. The two red collars went to Crow and Blossom. The yellow to Fang. The green to Blaze. The orange to Noodle. The black to Tiger. The purple to Berry. The navy blue to Hawk. The silver to Mari. The sky blue went to Dynamite.

The name tags were finally finished. To the two girls’ relief it was some sixteen year old boy, who tried to flirt with Jade, who gave them the tags. The girls put the name tags on the cats’ collars, and then placed all of them back in their bags. They grabbed all the other bags of cat stuff and finally headed back home.

"Hey can we stop to get more beef jerky," Kim asked when they walked out of the pet store. She had finished eating hers before they had gone to look at the toys.

"No."

"Bu-"

"No."

"Oh, come on!"

"I'll make you pasta when we get back," Jade bribed.

"Sounds good to me. Let's hurry!"


	4. Evicted

BANG

BANG

BANG

"WAKE UP!"

BANG

BANG

BANG

"KIM! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!"

BANG

BANG

BANG

"OPEN UP-"

"WHAT the FUCK do you want at this unholy hour?" Kim growled out, throwing the front door open, looking like a bat straight out of hell, with her hair disarray and her clothes wrinkled from sleep. It was four in the morning. The sun still hadn't come up yet, meaning it was still dark out. Kim hated to be woken up early. She's a morning person. She could wake up at the butt crack of dawn and be in a good mood, but if someone else woke her up... well... she will most definitely not be Miss Sunshine.

"Well, don't you look attractive," stated Jade as she took in Kim's appearance. She was wearing her fluffy purple sleep pants that had green little monsters, with loose fitting tank top. She also wore a looked of death on her face, at Jade's comment. "Sorry, Sorry," Jade said holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture. Kim just glared and turned back into her apartment to make herself some much needed morning tea.

"What are you doing here so early in the God damned morning," Kim groaned out as she leaned against the kitchen counter. Jade gave her a nervous smile. She wasn't exactly sure how to tell her friend, so she settled to start at the beginning.

"Well... You see..." She sat down on one of the bar stools facing Kim.

"What did you do this time," Kim questioned as she brought the cup of tea up to her lips, though it did nothing to soothe the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"You always complain that you're short. You do know that caffeine stumps your growth."

"I never complain about my height, it's you that makes fun of me for being short. Caffeine doesn't stump your growth. That's just something people tell their already hyper children, to prevent them from drinking it and getting even more hyper than they already are," Kim stated in a monotone voice, trying to keep her eyes from drooping. "Besides caffeine's a stimulant, and only high doses can cause anxiety and dizziness."

"Do you always have to ruin everything I say with your facts," Jade whined, glad that she got her friend off the topic of why she was there so early in the morning. She grabbed an apple out of the fruit bowl that was on the counter and started to twist the stem.

"If you're going to make a claim, know your facts." She took another drink of her tea before putting it down, and leaning forward on the island counter and looking Jade in the eye. "Let me ask again, what are you doing here so early in the morning? What did you do this time?" Jade hung her head.

"Heh, heh. I would have thought you would've forgotten," Jade laughed like an evil villain who plot was thwarted by the hero.

"Not likely. I'm not that easily thrown off track," Kim smirked, enjoying how the smile fell off her friends - the villain was thwarted by an antihero not a hero.

"I thought you had ADHD!" Jade exclaimed.

"That's beside the point, Jade!" Kim shouted in embarrassment. She hated it when people mentioned her ADHD. "It only means I have trouble staying still and focusing. It doesn't affect my memory," she said in a huff crossing her arms. "But back to the point, and stop trying to distract me."

"Okay, okay. Don't bite my head off."

Kim just stared.

"I was working on a new sketch last night for the showcase tomorrow. I had just gotten the charcoal to work with me; it was going to be my first piece in about two months. Just as I was about to finish, someone knocked and I jumped. I ended up drawing a line throughout the entire picture. So... I got pissed, and I took it out on the person that knocked on my door."

Kim raised a questioning eyebrow, asking what she did.  
"I punched him in the face!" Jade shouted hiding her face in her hands, and mumbled the rest under her breath. The hazel eyed girl was ashamed of her actions.

"What? Jade I didn't catch that."

"I said the man at the door was my landlord, and I only have until tonight to have all of my belongings out of there. If I don't he's going to throw them out." Jade hung her head in shame. When Kim didn't respond she looked up slowly, only to see her smirking. "What are you so happy about?! I'm going to be homeless!"

"You're not going to be homeless, and if you were you would be the hottest hobo I have ever seen." Jade sputtered. "I talked to my dad, the same day we got the cats after you left, about you moving in. He said it was alright, as long as you buy your own personal things. Oh, and another thing. That bastard landlord of yours got what he deserved. Every time I went over to visit you, he would try flirting with me," Kim shivered.

"So I'm not going to become a hobo, and you're going to help me move all of my things in-"

"I nev-"

"Kimberly Ann! You're the best!" Jade exclaimed running out the front door. Kim stomped her foot in frustration. She really didn't want to help her best friend pack. Jade had a lot of things. So many.

"You really are a great friend, you know that," the lazy deep voice of her father called out.

"I hate you," she hissed out, stalking toward her bedroom to get dressed. She walked into her room quickly pulling off her pajama pants and throwing them into the hamper. She slipped on a pair of blue jeans, a pair of socks and her Converse. She opted to leave her oversized black tank top on. Brushed her teeth and walked out of her room. She walked towards the front door while trying to put her hair in a messy bun.

"Here take 'em," Ren said tossing his truck keys to his daughter. "You're going to need it. What with all the clothes I'm sure she has in her closet. Don't forget this," he said while handing her a red and silver thermos filled with lemon-ginger tea. "You're going to need it."

"Thanks, Dad. If I don't make it back tell my cats I love them," she replied dramatically, closing the door.

"You heard that right, you stupid fur balls!" Ren shouted out to the cats' lounging forms in the living room, before heading back to bed. The cats that were awake meowed in indignation. "It's too early for this shit!"

***

Kim hurried down the stairs, plastic stainless steel cup in hand. When she walked out the lobby door, she shook the keys in her hand while motioning to Jade, who was sitting in her car, that she would be taking her father's truck. She then proceeded to hop in the driver's seat and start the engine, and then waited for Jade to pull out before following after her. Jade drove a yellow Volkswagen Bug. While Kim drove her father's white Chevy Silverado.

They arrived at Jade's apartment complex about twenty minutes later. She lived in one of the buildings in the middle of the city. It was one of those fancy apartment buildings that had valet parking and bell hop services. She had it made before her father stopped sending her money, and instead using it to take his new wife and her kids on luxury vacations.

They drove down to the underground parking garage to park. They parked close to the elevator, so that they wouldn't have to walk very far when they brought all the boxes of her things down. Both stepped out of their vehicles and went into the elevator.

When they got to Jade's floor they stepped out of the elevator. What Kim saw shocked her. Jade's normally tidy abode was littered with cardboard boxes. Some seemed to be half packed, while other boxes were over packed and looked about ready to fall apart.

"I started packing some things last night. The furniture, TVs, and the cookware stay, they came with the apartment. Everything else goes," Jade stated as she started to pack away a few more things. Turning around to look at Kim she said, "Thanks, Kim. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"It's really no problem. So where do I start?" Kim asked looking over all the boxes.

"I have everything from the kitchen packed, and I'm almost done with the living room. Can you go start on my closet? Tops go in one box, bottoms in one, shoes in one, bags in one, and accessories in another," Jade ordered. Kim tried her best to hide a groan of displeasure. Of all the things she had to pack, Jade's closet was the worst. Jade The Fashionista's closet was a place no sane person dared to venture inside, for fear of getting lost in and never coming out of.

When Kim opened the closet door she braced herself, and when nothing popped out or attacked her she slowly opened her eyes one at a time. She had the joy of packing Jade's closet. Though it could be worse, she could be stuck packing up Jade's art room. If there was one thing Jade loved as much as shopping, it was art. Art is a way of expressing one's self, and Jade sure as hell expressed herself through her clothes and sketches. She shook her head and set to work packing Jade's closet away.

Jade was in the living room. She was in the middle of taping boxes shut, labeling them, and then stacking the boxes up, when she was interrupted. Her landlord walked right through the front door, and started walking around. He was mainly there to make sure that Jade didn't take anything that didn't belong to her. He walked around, stopping every now and then to glare at Jade's back.

Jade could feel his glares. It was taking everything she had in her not to turn around and punch him again. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and sent a text message to Kim.

'Mr. Benson is here so look out'

'Damn it! Keep that creeper downstairs!'

'Nah, I think I'll send him upstairs :P'

'RAPE!'

'Lol'

'Bitch.'

'Love ya too'

The two girls spent the next ten hours packing, loading up, driving, and then finally unloading all of Jade's belongings. It wouldn't have taken so long if the girls hadn't stopped at random intervals. They stopped at noon to go out to eat, turned on the radio and danced around (mainly to annoy the horrible lady that lived downstairs), and they even fell asleep for a few hours as well.

At around 5:00 PM, they were finally done with everything. Jade had moved in to the room next to Kim's. All of her boxes were scattered all over the front area of the house, while a few were still in her car. Jade was running back and forth from her new room to the living area grabbing a new box when she was finished unpacking the previous one.

Kim had thrown herself on the couch to watch TV with a few of the cats. She once again had Hawk and Crow on her lap. No matter how much pleading and begging Jade did, Kim refused to move from her spot. She used the excuse that since she poured hot tea on Mr. Benson's head, she was exempt from helping her unpack.

Jade was almost done unpacking her things. Her closet was overflowing, as per usual, her bed was neatly made, and the things that didn't fit were put away in the storage unit out back. Now all she had to do was put up her art supplies. She had set up her easel to face the window giving her a perfect view of the woods outside. She put her desk up against the wall. She was busily putting away all her paint brushes, paint containers, charcoal, papers, and canvases away in the different draws and cabinets.

Four of the ten cats were in the room with her. Dynamite was following her every move. He mainly wanted to see how good of an artist she was. He may favor his sculptures, but as an artist he respected all forms of art. Fang and Mari were lounging on one of Jade's many plush pillows. Blaze was sitting below the corner of the desk.

When Jade set the paints down on top of the desk, Dynamite jumped up to further inspect them. He bit the lid in hopes of opening it. He succeeded, but the container was too close to the edge and tipped over. The paint spilled all over Blaze who tried in vain to get out of the way of the falling paint.

Having heard the clack the paint container made when it hit the ground, Jade spun around. She saw Dynamite siting on her desk looking innocent, and Blaze on the ground covered in orange paint hissing up at Dynamite. The little blond cat was getting revenge on the white cat. Though he did not plan on it.

"KIMBERLY! GET OVER HERE! NOW!"

Kim ran through the door with the other five kittens scampering after her. Hawk and Crow looking a little miffed about being so suddenly dropped to the floor when she had sprung up.

"What's wrong Jade?"

Jade didn't say a word, she just gestured to Blaze whom was looking miserable covered in the bright orange paint. Noodle had walked up to him and was meowing happily, along with Blossom. It also seemed that Hawk was smirking a bit.

"Can you take him a bath to get the paint off? I'll keep the others in here."

"Why can't you take him a bath?" Kim questioned.

"So, you'll pay for my next manicure," Jade asked hopefully. Kim took a deep breath, before walking across the room. She bent down and picked Blaze up and walked out of the room, but not before shooting a glare at her so called best friend.

"Works every time," Jade muttered to herself.

***

Kim walked next door to her room, and went straight to her bathroom. She picked up a towel and placed it on the ground in front of the bath tub. She then pulled out the pet shampoo from the cabinet under the sink. Turning on the water, she made sure that it wasn't too hot or too cold. When she deemed the water temperature perfect she placed the struggling cat inside.

There was a loud pop, and a lot of smoke. When the smoke cleared, there was a man in the place of where the cat should be. A man covered in the same orange paint that the cat should be. A man sitting in her bathtub. A man!

Kim was shocked and scared, but she tried not to show it. She failed when the man opened his mouth to speak. She didn't scream or faint, her father had taught her better than that, she punched him. Hard. In the face. The man slid down into the water. Then he struggled to get out of the partially filled tub. When he managed to get out, he promptly fell over gasping for breath.

The ebony haired girl was in shock, but snapped out of it when she saw the man's face turning an unhealthy shade of blue. She noticed that he was still wearing the cat collar. The collar was blocking any oxygen from reaching his lungs and suffocating him. Hesitantly, she walked over to the man, who was scratching at his neck desperately trying to unclasp the collar, and kneeled down. She pulled the man's hands down and got him to stay still. She looked into his eye and told him that she was going to help. Once he was still she quickly undid the collar, and let it fall to the floor. The man took a deep breath of refreshing air.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder - a problem with inattentiveness, over-activity, impulsivity, or a combination. Basically a person problems paying attention and are easily distracted, and can't really stay still, for long or at all.


	5. Kakashi Hatake

As soon as the strange man seemed to regain some of his composure, he sat up. Kim was scared, though she tried not to show it. She had scooted back; her back was resting against the door. Her thoughts were too jumbled up to even think about running out of the bathroom, or to cry out for help. To top it off, all the fear that was bubbling inside of her was not doing any good for her stomach, which was spinning in in violent circles. Her stomach started spinning faster when the man looked at her. Even faster when he stood up.

"Hello, my name is Kakashi Hatake," the strange man greeted her with a crinkled eye smile and a small wave. Her stomach could no longer take the spinning, and begged to be emptied. She clasped her hands over her mouth, and ran over to the toilet. Kneeling down she opened the lid of the toilet, and proceeded to empty her stomach of its contents.

Kakashi stared in shock, and then quickly assessed the situation. He looked at it from her point of view, and realized his mistake. He should have tried to console the girl, and reassure her that he was no threat. Instead he let his excitement of being transformed back get the better of him, and cloud his judgment - it was such a Naruto thing to do. He quickly snapped out of his stupor, and looked at the girl. She was kneeled over the toilet, her hands on either side of the bowl, and she would try to hold her hair back whenever she could. Kakashi walked over to her and kneeled behind her. He felt her tense when she felt him near. He gathered her hair in his left hand, and calmly started rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I am of no threat to you, or anyone else."

Only then did she allow herself to relax. She was then hit with another wave of nausea. Kakashi stayed behind her soothing her until her stomach was thoroughly emptied. He cursed his luck at having to be stuck consoling a vomiting girl, but then he realized that it was his fault for scaring her enough to make her sick. He just hoped the other two wouldn't react in the same manner.

When her sickness passed Kakashi got up to get her a cup of water from the sink. The two of them were leaning against the bathtub. She downed half the cup in one gulp.

"Who are you?" He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off. "You're Kakashi Hatake. I got that, I mean what are you? Are you even human? Can you turn back and forth from a cat to a human? Are you some type of alien race? A Humcat? Were-cat? Animagus?What if the government comes to take you away? What if they take me away too? What about the others, are they like you too? Do you guys have super powers, like super strength? Where do you come from? What planet are you from?" Kim fired of her questions in rapid succession, her eyes widening after every question, not giving Kakashi enough time to respond.

Kakashi clamped a firm hand over her mouth, effectively stopping anymore questions from coming out of her mouth. She still kept on talking even though her mouth was covered, then she finally quieted down when he gave her a look. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. He sighed once and turned to look at her.

"A ninja. Yes. I'm not really sure. Umm, no. What is that exactly? There haven't been any full moons lately. I don't know what that is. I highly doubt that. Yes. You could say that. The Elemental Nations. Earth. Now does that answer all of your questions?" Kim could only nod. She pulled his hand off of her mouth.

"Heh heh. Forget about the whole Humcat and Animagus thing," she said meekly, playing with a piece of hair in embarrassment. Her head snapped up. "Um. There is no country on earth called The Elemental Nations, and people can't turn into cats. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't happen. The only places that would happen are in comic books, or Si-Fi movies. Look I believe you. I try to look at life with an open mind, and judging from what you're wearing I can tell you're not from around here." She said motioning to his form. "Your name though... Kakashi... it kind of sounds Japanese."

It was true. To Kim he was dressed strangely. He had white hair, and from what she could tell lightly tanned skin. He wore a headband with symbol that resembled a swirly leaf over his forehead and his left eye, and a dark blue mask that covered half of his face, leaving only the area around his right eye visible. He wore a dark blue shirt, the same color as his mask, under a green flak jacket with an red swirl on the back. His pants were the same color as his shirt. He had white wraps around his right thigh, and ankles and part of his shins. A blue holster was strapped over the whit bandages on his thigh, and a khaki pouch at his waist.

"Well, it's good to know that you believe me," he sighed, stretching one leg out. "Me and the others have talked this over, and the only plausible conclusion is that we all somehow jumped dimensions. The only thing is we don't know is, how we did it. You wouldn't happen to have any ideas as to how?"

"I'm not a scientist of any sort, but my dad has a love for these types of things." She paused for a bit, thinking it over. "Whenever this happens in the comic books, something significant has to be happening. Usually the characters are all gathered together, before they get transported. Mainly because the idiot of the group pushed a red button. Before they leave they feel a huge gathering of energy around them, and then get sent away in a flash of white light. The cat part though, I don't really know." she shot an apologetic look at him. Although from all the cat fan fictions she read, it was usually at the author's whim. So... God?

"Nothing important has been happening. We, most of us anyway, were in the middle of rebuilding our village. Nothing significant. None, well maybe a few, of us were really gathered together. Three of us were dead, actually. There wasn't a red button, but I can think of someone who would've pressed it if there was." He paused for a few seconds. "Though I did feel a large amount of chakra building up all around me. I don't know if the others felt it too. Now that I think about it there was a flash, but I wrote it off as a camera flash." He held his chin in his hand. "We couldn't come up with anything to explain the cat part, either."

"What's chakra?"

"A combination of spiritual and physical energy," he replied off handedly.

"Okay," she agreed with wide confused eyes, question marks seemingly floating around her head. "Should we go and change the others back now?"

"I guess we could," he said in a lazy drawl, standing up and offering a hand out to Kim. She accepted, and followed him out the door. Before he could walk out her bedroom door, she put a hand on his arm. He looked down at her curiously.

"Can you not... mention what happened... you know... back there... in the bathroom," she trailed off nervously.

"Don't worry. It can be our little secret," he responded, his visible eye crinkling in a smile. He moved out of the way to let her through. As she went she muttered a quick and quiet 'thank you'.

"JADE! Where are you?" she shouted out into the house.

"I'm in the kitchen!" was the immediate reply.

"They're in the kitchen," she told Kakashi.

"So I've heard." Together they walked down the hall to the kitchen. Kim motioned to Kakashi to stand back until she was ready for him to come out.

She walked in to the kitchen first. There she saw Jade sitting at the bar eating a piece of pie. The other nine cats were nowhere to be seen. She slowly walked over to stand in front of the other girl. She stared until the older girl decided to look up at her.

"Hey Jade."

"I'm eating."

"Obviously." She took a deep breath. "I have something to tell you-"

"You didn't kill the cat did you," Jade asked frantically.

"What! Why would you think that? I'm not you."

"Hey! I never killed a cat. I may have overfed my goldfish, but I never killed a cat," she defended herself.

"Jade, shut up for a bit." When Jade stayed quiet Kim continued. “It’s about the cats. You see... I was going to take Blaze a bath, but when he got wet... something happened." She started messing with her hair. "Well, you see..." She started rocking on her feet. "Um... How about I just show you what happened." She walked out into the hall and came back pulling a white haired man by the arm.

"Hello," Kakashi said waving at Jade. Jade just stared at him.

"You see, Jade. When Blaze got wet into turned in to this man. Jade meet Kakashi Hatake, and Kakashi meet Jade." Kim waited nervously for Jade's reaction. She was a bit disappointed when Jade just shrugged it off. "You're not freaked out by this?"

"No, not really. I mean, yeah it's pretty weird, but if you trust him I trust him." She stopped to think for a bit. "Does this mean that the other cats are like you too," she asked pointing at Kakashi. He nodded in response. Kim was about to say something when Jade ran out of the room.

Jade returned a few seconds later with Noodle and a cup of water in hand. The other eight cats were trailing after her. All nine of the cat's eyes widened at the sight of Kakashi in his human form. Kakashi and Kim tried to stop Jade from pouring water on Noodle, but they were too late. Just like the first time there was a pop and a lot of smoke.

"AHHHHH! KAKASHI-SENSEI SAVE ME! IT'S KILLING ME! I'M BEING CHOKED! I'M DYING! I'M GONNA DIE! SENSEI SAVE ME, I DON'T WANNA DIE! I HAVEN'T BECOME HOKAGE YET! I CAN'T DIE!" A blonde boy was rolling around on the floor where Noodle should have been.

"Naruto, calm down and stay still. You're not going to die," Kakashi said to the boy. He had bright sunshine blond hair and bright azure eyes. He also had whisker marks on his face. He wore orange pants with a matching jacket that had black on the shoulders and around the bottom, and it had the same red swirl as Kakashi's jacket on the back. He also wore black sandals and a black headband similar to Kakashi's.

"Aren't you going to help him," Jade asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I guess I should," Kakashi said in his lazy drawl. He walked over to the flailing blond boy. He ended up having to sit on him to get him to be still and be able to remove the collar. They spent the next ten minutes taking off collars and turning the cats back into their original forms. The two girls soon learned every one's names.

Deidara had icy blue eyes, and long blond hair, the same color as Naruto’s, which he wore partly in a ponytail and covering his left eye. He wore a dark pale blue half-shirt over a black mesh shirt. He wore matching dark pale blue pants, and black sandals with white socks. He wore a black headband with an image of rocks that had a slash through it. The thing that stood out the most about him was the mouths on his hands. They most certainly were not tattoos.

Itachi had red eyes with three comma like things swirling around his pupil, and long ebony colored hair that he wore in a loose ponytail. He wore something similar to Deidara the only difference was that he wore a V-neck shirt and a necklace with three rings on it. His headband was similar to Kakashi’s; the only difference was that there was a slash through it.

Konan had amber colored eyes, and blue hair that she wore with a small bun and a paper rose. She wore a black cloak with red clouds, and heeled sandal boots.

Nagato was kind of tricky. As a cat he had orange fur with black markings, and purple ringed eyes. When he got turned back he still had the purple eyes, but his hair turned red. He had straight red hair. He wore gray pants similar to Itachi's, with black sandals and white socks.

Hana had onyx colored eyes, and long brown hair that she wore in a ponytail with two strands framing her face. She had two red-purple fang like markings on her cheeks. She wore a green flak jacket without any pockets, green wrist warmers, dark blue shorts, and dark blue sandals. She wore a leaf symbol headband around her thigh.

Hinata had pale lavender eyes, and waist-length straight indigo colored hair with bangs. She wore a baggy light purple and white zipped up hoddie over a mesh shirt, short blue carpi pants, and heeled sandals. She wore her leaf symbol headband around her neck.

Sakura had sea foam green eyes, and shoulder length pink hair. She wore a red zip-up sleeve-less shirt, a pair of tight black shorts with a light pink apron over them, light pink elbow protectors, knee high sandals, and her red leaf symbol headband in her hair.

Sasuke had onyx colored eyes, and oddly styled ebony hair. He wore a light gray zip-up shirt unzipped exposing his chest, black pants, a giant purple rope butt-bow, and black sandals.

"So... which ones are the zombies," Kim whispered to Kakashi. She tried to make her voice as low as possible, but apparently it wasn't low enough. Everyone in the room heard her, and immediately turned around to face her. She started to turn red from all the attention.

"Ha ha! Zombies, good one! I like you! Dattebayo!" Naruto shouted and draped an arm around Kim's shoulders. Everyone in the room started to laugh save for Itachi and Sasuke, they just smirked. "The zombies are Deidara, Itachi, and Nagato," he said pointing to each in turn.

"Wait why isn't Sasuke a zombie I killed him, un," Deidara shouted indigently, pointing a finger at Sasuke.

"Apparently you didn't," Jade stated. Deidara rounded on her with a fierce glare. Jade returned that glare with just as much fervor.

"A crappy ass artist like you wouldn't the first thing about my art. There was no way he could have survived that last explosion, un! Because art is... an explosion!"

"Okay. I have to agree with you there," Jade said with a nod.

"Well... wait what, un?"

"Art is an explosion. I agree with that. Also, I've never met you before, different dimension and all, so of course I wouldn't know anything about your art. I think we're going to be great art buddies. What kind of art do you specialize in?"

"Sculptures." He stuck his hand in one of his pouches and pulled out a lump of clay. Moving his hands expertly. He then opened them again to reveal a white clay rose. "What about you?"

"Sketches. I love all the detail you can achieve with charcoal. Though I prefer to use my finger over a rubber. I guess it easier that way for me. I especially hate it when people interrupt me."

"Exactly. Like when people insult my work. That gets to me. I work so long and hard on a piece, and it pisses me off when people-"

"Hey! Um, guys. We still have to figure out what we're going to tell my dad when he gets here," Kim said nervously looking at everyone in the room. Jade stayed quiet for a bit before responding.

"Looks like your cooking dinner tonight!"


	6. Sucking Up

"I hate cooking," Kim whined, throwing herself on the chair closest to the window. Everyone had moved to the living room.

"Must suck to be you," Jade mocked. Her and Deidara had really hit it off and became fast-friends through their mutual love and respect for art. They were sitting next to each other on the sofa to continue their discussion. Nagato and Konan were sitting next to them. Kakashi sat on the ottoman near Kim's chair hunched forward reading an orange book that he pulled out of his pouch. Hana took the other chair. Sakura and Hinata sat crossed legged on the floor in front of Naruto, who had moved the coffee table, and was spread out starfish-style on the floor.

Itachi was on the floor with one knee bent up, leaning against the chair that Kim was sitting on while Sasuke was on the other side, his spiky hair just barely brushing her leg every time he moved. She was a little weirded out by that. They were always around her, not that she minded, it was just strange. Even as cats they were always near. She didn't know if she should say something or not. She didn't want to come off as rude, but wasn't it rude to follow someone.

"Kim, are you okay?" Jade had noticed her friend looked a bit troubled. She didn't know what was bothering her, but she was going to find out.

"What," she snapped out of her thoughts. "Oh, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You look like something is bothering you," Sakura added in. She had also seen the conflicted look on the ebony haired girl's face.

"Is it that obvious," Kim questioned, her cheeks taking on a light pink dusting.

"J-just a bit," Hinata added in shyly, poking her fingers together.

"Is it girl problems?" Hana being blunt as ever questioned. All the girls snapped their heads to face Hana. The guys just shifted awkwardly, save for Kakashi who was too absorbed in his book. Kim and Hinata's faces turned a bright shade of pink.

"Hana, not in front of the guys," Sakura chided.

"What! It's nothing to be ashamed of. It's a fact of life," Hana defended herself with a nonchalant shrug.

"She does have a point," Konan agreed with the Inuzuka.

"Exactly!" Hana exclaimed. The boys, who were actually paying attention, were looking on with interest.

"Hey! How did we get to this? That's not what’s bothering me." The guys sighed in relief. Relief, because they weren't going to have to sit through a talk about girl problems. "I was just wondering why Itachi and Sasuke follow me around all the time-" she cut herself off. She couldn't believe she had said that out loud. She covered her mouth with her hands, and tried to make herself as small as possible.

That caught everyone’s interest. Kakashi lowered his book, and took a look at the two brothers. They were both rigid. They didn't even realize that they were sticking to Kim's side.

"Hey, Teme! Do you have a crush? Is the big Teme in love," Naruto teased, making kissy faces at Sasuke. Sakura liked Kim, but that didn't mean she couldn't be a little miffed at the thought of Sasuke liking her.

"Hn."

"Damn it, Sasuke! Answer me!" Naruto shouted, jumping up onto his feet. He started to push back his sleeves, in a sign that he was ready for a fight. Sasuke sat up a little straighter, but before Naruto could make a move, Sakura was already standing behind him.

"Naruto," she growled. He stood straight as a rod. He turned around slowly.

"S-Sakura-chan!" He shouted with his arms stretched out wide. She was about to hit him, but decided not to. She just narrowed her eyes and took a seat on the unclaimed ottoman, with her arms crossed.

"So... Itachi. You have a crush on Kim," Nagato questioned, joining the conversation for the first time. Everyone stared between the two. Itachi turned a blank stare on him.

"No, I do not," he said calmly.

"Then why," Kim questioned, directing her question to the two brothers. The two shared a look, and came to a silent agreement. They would tell her. They only hoped that she wouldn't freak out.

"It's because when we were younger we always wanted a sister-" Itachi started.

"We used to sit around and imagine what she would be like-" Sasuke picked up.

"She would have looked exactly like you, with a slight resemblance to our mother-"

"And acted just like you," Sasuke finished.

Kakashi smirked there, remembering what had happened in the bathroom. He also had to fight to keep from laughing when the unbidden memory of a few nights ago popped into his mind. The girl had unknowingly serenaded him asking him to, "reach out and touch me," while wearing nothing but her underwear and a loose green tank top. The Uchiha would be horrified.

"I hope we haven't frightened you," Itachi added as an afterthought. Everyone was stunned. Half because of their reasoning and half because they actually spoke more than a single word. The girls couldn't help but sigh at their explanation; they thought it was the cutest thing in the world.

Kim was shocked. She didn't know what to say. She took a few moments to think about what they said. Thinking about what they had said, she couldn't help but feel flattered. Never had she ever had someone dream of having her as a sister. As a child growing up she had always imagined what it would be like to have an older or younger sibling. Maybe this would be her chance to get what she’s always dreamed of. A huge smile spread across her face. She looked at the two brothers beaming.

"I would be honored to be your sister," she exclaimed, jumping up. She leaned down and engulfed Itachi in a hug, and then she went over to Sasuke and did the same to him. Light barely there blushes covered the two brothers' faces, but she didn't care she was just happy someone wanted to be around her. She stepped back and looked Sasuke up and down, and looked at him with a face of utmost seriousness. "Sasuke, as your new sister, I have something important to tell you. That outfit makes you look fat. I can deal with the chicken-ass hair, but that butt-bow has got to go. What’s with that shirt? What are you a pirate?" At that everyone was laughing at Sasuke's expense.

"Hey! You know what? How did the zombies die? No one ever told us," Jade's voice broke through. She sent the youngest Uchiha a wink.

"I can tell you, 'ttebayo!" Naruto jumped up. “You see, Deidara blew himself up trying and failing to kill Sasuke." Kim glared at the other blonde. Jade laughed and muttered 'dumbass'. "After Sasuke and Itachi had an epic battle, Itachi died." Jade stared at the brothers. Kim gave Sasuke a look to which the boy just shrugged. "And Nagato died using up the last of his chakra to bring all the dead people in the village, including Kakashi-sensei, back to life. He was awesome, dattebayo!" Kim and Jade both sent smiles in Nagato's direction.

After all that was over, and Deidara and Jade stopped arguing about her comment, Kim tried to get someone to help her cook her father dinner. Even her new brothers didn't want to help her. Though on the bright side she had managed to get Hana and Hinata to agree to help. They cooked breaded pork chops, with sides of mashed potatoes and a simp,e garden salad. She even made one of the guys run out to the store with Jade to buy a case of beer.

When Ren got home, he was instantly suspicious. Jade flat out refused to cook, only cooking when she felt like it, and Kim, his daughter, hated cooking with a passion. The only time she cooked was when she wanted, broke, or did something. The only question was which one was it. He sat down at the table and stared at the two girls. They seemed to be a bit jumpy, like they were hiding something. Every time he looked at them they would avoid his gaze. Suspicious.

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura felt a sense of deja-vu.

"Okay. I'll cut to the chase. What did you do?" Ren questioned. Kim was playing with her hair, and Jade was messing with a loose thread on her shirt.

"Dad, you're looking good tonight," Jade said nervously.

"Jade you freak! Don't flirt with my dad!"

"I wasn't flirting, and besides he isn't that bad looking for an old dude."

Ren made a face, he was not that old. He's only 36.

"Jade!"

"Sorry! I don't do good under pressure! When are we going to tell your dad abo-" Jade trailed off, looking at Ren. Ren raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me about what?" Ren leaned back in his chair with his arms folded. "Where are the cats? Did you two kill them?" He wore a worried look. The two girls in his opinion were not exactly the responsible type.

"What! Why does everyone assume that?" Kim shouted. Ren stood up, and stared them down with his arms folded over his chest.

"The cats we had were really people from a different dimension! One of them got turned back when Kim had to take him a bath because he got covered in orange paint, which he is still covered in! Then we turned them all back! Three of them are zombies! They even have super powers, and one of them has hands on his mouth! I mean mouths on his hands! Please don't kick me out! I don't want to be a HOBO! Even if I would be the hottest hobo to ever live!" Jade had cracked.

"Okay. WHAT!" Ren shouted. With that they went on to explain their very eventful day. They introduced Ren to the ninja, and they really hit it off. Ren was not like most fathers, that is why he was excited at the idea of having dimension jumpers in his house.

"So, how exactly are you guys going to get home," Ren questioned, taking a sip of beer. The ninja all shared a look. It was Nagato that answered.

"We're not exactly sure."

"You guys are going to need a place to stay." Ren mussed.

"Sir, we wouldn't want to impose," Itachi added, already having an idea of what the man was thinking while not wanting to sound ungrateful.

"Don't call me Sir, I'm not that old, and I don't mind." He sat up straighter. "I usually house some of the guys from the navy who really can't afford it or are just saving up for whatever. For the young single ones it seems pointless spend so much when they're just going to move again. The last girl left two months ago. So there's enough space for all of you." As an afterthought he added, "Though, I don't want any moochers in my house. If you're going to be living here, you have to support yourselves. I'll give you a place to stay, but you have to buy your own things, like Jade."

"That sounds reasonable," Kakashi stated, looking to the others for confirmation. They all agreed.

"Alright!" Kim stood gathering everyone's attention. "There's two rooms with two bunk beds each, meaning four beds in both rooms. The girls take one room and the guys take the other. Although the guys are gonna have to double up," Kim explained, and the ninja nodded.

"We can all go to the mall tomorrow, and search for jobs there," Jade suggested. "Well, I don't need one since I already have one. I think I could get Deidara a job with me."

"Kid you should get one too," Ren said to his daughter.

"What? Why?" She was confused. She already had a job, so why would she need to find one.

"I've been getting a lot of complaints about your work." That was a flat out lie. He had been receiving nothing but complements on her work. He would not have minded if the complements were from guys around her age. That would have been perfect for him, because she could date the guy, fall in love, get married, and give him grandchildren. Sadly the only men that ever visited the shop most likely already had grandchildren or children the same age or older than her. To him age was but a number, but his precious daughter was still only seventeen.

"Dad, did you just fire me?"

"Yes."

"You're doing the dishes tonight, then. Come on everyone I'll show you to your rooms," Kim motioned for everyone to follow after her. Kim and Jade showed them to the rooms. Which was really just a small hallway with three doors and the staircase leading up to the second floor. The guys took the bedroom to the left and the girls took the one to the right. The situated between the two bedrooms was the guest bathroom/laundry room.

Both bedrooms were set up the same way. Two bunk beds pushed up on either sides of the room, two wardrobes directly across from them, two shelves for extra storage, a mini fridge, and a second door directly across from the entrance that lead to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom besides the obvious was a double vanity and a large walk-in shower.

Kim walked to the kitchen to grab an after dinner snack.

"Kimberly, do the dishes!"

"I don't work for you anymore!" Kim ran to her room, and closed the door.

In the girls’ room, things went smoothly. Hinata and Hana both preferred the bottom bunk while Sakura and Konan opted for the top. The girls took turns showering and changed into the clothes Kim and Jade had given them before calling it a night.

In the boys' room, things didn't go quite as smoothly. They had to trade bedmates a few times before anyone was happy, namely Deidara. At first it was Kakashi and Nagato, Deidara and Itachi, and Naruto and Sasuke. Deidara refused to share a bed with ‘that weasel’ as he called him. Then it was Nagato and Itachi, and Kakashi and Deidara. Deidara refused to sleep with the ‘giggling pervert’ as he dubbed him. Then Naruto and Sasuke got into an argument over the covers which nearly turned into a wrestling match, but only ended when Naruto fell to the floor. Finally, it was Kakashi and Naruto, Itachi and Sasuke, and Nagato and Deidara. Deidara had no more complaints fore he was too afraid of the Akatsuki leader. Then at 2:00 in the morning, it was decided that Kakashi was not allowed to read his orange book in the room at night.


	7. Banned

The next morning was rather strained.

Ren had went and woken up all they boys at five in the morning. He found Kakashi asleep on the couch with his orange book still clutched in his left hand. He handed the white haired man a set of clean clothes and directed him towards his bathroom. His next victims was Itachi, though the young man was already awake. Next was Nagato. He made some spastic movements before waking up fully, when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Nagato's spasms caused Deidara to be violently thrown off the bed. The blond was about to shout something, when he was silenced by the glares he received from the other men in the room. Like with Kakashi, he handed the three a set of clean clothes and told them to shower and get dressed. Deidara called dibs on the first shower.

Ren's next victims were Sasuke and Naruto. Like Nagato, Naruto reacted violently. He did not know how, but the blond boy had somehow managed to land on top of the other boy, who was sleeping in the bunk beneath him. The dark haired boy did not react too kindly to being rudely awakened, and attacked the other boy. Ren could not help but be reminded of his daughter, and made a mental note to send someone else in to wake the dark haired boy.

The guys all wore jeans, and most of them opted to wear their own shirts. Kakashi kept his long sleeve shirt on. Itachi kept his V-neck shirt on. Naruto grabbed a white shirt and wore his jacket. Deidara, Sasuke and Nagato all borrowed one of Ren's T-shirts. Ren also lent them all a pair of Converse; he had a vast collection, courtesy of his daughter who was obsessed with the brand.

At around six, everyone was showered and dressed for the day.

Jade was the first of the girls up in the morning. She showered and dressed. She wore a pair of pink skinny jeans, a black and white horizontal stripped shirt, with a pair of nude sandals. She wanted her new friends, more like new Barbie dolls, to look good on their trip to the mall. Jade walked into her closet, and started contemplating on who would look good in what. She needed more time to think, and with a smirk she walked into the lion's den, AKA Kim's room. She raided Kim's closet.

She knew what her friend liked to wear. So she chose as pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a green and blur plaid button up shirt, her favorite soft gray cardigan, and a pair of black sandals with thick black straps. She held the clothes in her arms as she jumped up and down on Kim's bed. She jumped to the side when her best friend tried to kick her off the bed. Jade sat on top of Kim, and was met with a glare. She only smiled and held out the bundle of clothes. Kim got off her bed with an angry face, and stalked off to her bathroom to get ready for the day.

Jade continued sitting on the bed before running over to Kim's closet and going in. She stole a few articles of clothing and returned to her room, and promptly went into her own closet.

For Hinata she chose a pair of blue jeans, a white tank top to wear under her jacket, and a pair of gray sandals. For Sakura she chose a pair of yellow skinny jeans, a flowy cream colored strapless shirt with a blue jacket, and a pair of black sandals. For Konan she chose a dark blue baby doll shirt, a pair of black capris, and matching dark blue flats. For Hana she chose a pair of skinny jeans, a long sleeved dark pink sweater shirt, with a pair of gray flats with little bows on the toes.

Jade thought over her fashion choices in her head, imagining what they would look like. When she was sure that they would look great, she made her way to the other girls' room. She woke them all up threw their clothes at them. When they tried to tell her they didn't want to burden her with having to wear her clothes, she told them that she didn't mind. She was just happy to have more girl friends that she could play dress up with, and that some of the clothes belonged to Kim as well.

Soon everyone was dressed and sitting in the living room. Hinata decided to forgo her jacket, which caused Naruto's eyes to linger on a certain part of her anatomy. If she had noticed, she would have been so red that tomatoes would be jealous. Sakura was sitting quietly next to Sasuke, and was sneaking glances at him every few minutes. When he would meet her gaze, she would blush prettily and look away only to start the process all over again. Nagato and Konan were once again sitting next to each other. Kim was taking advantage of her new brother and snuggled up to Itachi's side sleeping with her feet on Jade's lap. Jade was talking with Hana, who was sitting on an ottoman. Kakashi was sitting between Nagato and Hinata, reading his beloved orange book. Deidara was on the floor complaining about unfair treatment, and Ren was in the kitchen cooking breakfast muttering things about it being a woman's job, which caused him to receive many glares.

After eating breakfast they resumed their positions in the living room. Ren kicked Deidara to the side, which only caused the blonde to complain more about unfair treatment. Ren pulled out a wad of cash.

"You've been holding back on me, old man," Jade cried, eyes going wide at the bundle of money.

"What do you mean 'you'? It's me he was holding out on," Kim shouted, which ended up in a glaring contest between the two.

"Girls," Ren groaned. They snapped their attention to him. "Okay. Now that I have everyone’s attention I'll begin." He shot the two girls a warning glance. "Since our new house guests are going to be staying here for an indefinite amount of time. No one really knows how long it will be till they can find a way back home. In the mean time you all are going to need clothes, food, and other necessities. So, I'll start you all off, I will give you all two hundred dollars each." He paused. At the looks he received he started again. "You don't need to worry about paying me back. Just knowing that different dimensions actually exist, is payment enough for me." His eyes shined for a moment, thoroughly creeping out the newcomers and Jade. "Though this is all that I will be giving you, so spend your money wisely, and I do expect you all to get jobs. I don't want any moochers in my house. I already have one." There he turned to look at his daughter.

"Hey! I'm your kid! You're supposed to support me," Kim shouted, offended at her father's remark. Her father just ignored her, and handed everyone their money. He then shooed them out the front door, following after them and shutting the door behind him.

***

The group stood in the center of the mall. They all had various reactions to what they saw. Sakura could not help but think that Ino would be in Heaven. Naruto was gaping at all the sights, practically shaking from excitement. Sasuke groaned at the group of girls forming behind him, even in a different dimension he could not escape his fangirls. Kakashi just stared lazily at everything in sight, taking it all in over the top of his green book.

Itachi was taking everything in with a blank face. Nagato and Konan were chatting happily, they no longer had to worry about catching Jinjuriki to bring peace to the shinobi world, they were leaving that to Naruto, and in the mean time they were going to enjoy themselves. Kim was talking to Hana about getting a job at the pet store. Jade was telling Deidara about the art supply store that she worked at, and about how they could teach classes for extra money.

Hinata was blushing and covering her chest in embarrassment from all the crude gestures some of the male population were giving her, she wished she had chosen to wear her jacket. Naruto was the only one who seemed to notice her discomfort. Being the nice guy that he is, he took off his jacket and gave it to the shy girl. She blushed even deeper when he helped her into his jacket, giving her a bright smile. All the girls could not help the smiles that graced their faces at the sweetness of their moment.

"Okay, so where to first," Kakashi drawled lazily, putting his book away. They all exchanged looks. Kim stared at Jade expectantly. The mall was, after all, her domain.

"Okay." Jade put her hands on her hips, and squinted her eyes; her thinking pose. "You all are going to need toiletries. Things like shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. We can go to Bath & Body Works!"

"Jade they mainly sell lotions, body sprays and perfumes," Kim put in.

"Your point," Jade said raising an eyebrow. Kim gave her an are-you-serious face. "Fine, we can stop at Target too. They sell the best shampoo at the Hair Garden, though. Okay! Next, they'll need clothes and underwear. We can go to places like Hot Topic, American Eagle, Express, Forever 21, and Victoria's Secret!" Kim made a face. "Maybe not Express. What else... Right! Shoes! The Flip Flop Shop and that Shoe Place! After that we can roam the mall and find jobs for everyone. Sound good?" She looked over at the group. They all nodded. "Where to, first?"

"We should go to Target first. Get all the personal hygiene stuff first, then the clothes,” said Kim. She added, "I can deal with lending them my clothes, but I can't deal with them stinking up the place." At that everyone turned to look at Naruto.

"Why is everyone staring at me, dattebayo?" Naruto shouted, pulling at his hair.

"Okay. Off to Target we go," sang Jade, grabbing the two people closest to her arms. Hana and Itachi happened to be closest.

They all arrived at the in-mall Target five minutes later. As Jade and the others walked off, Kim stayed behind. She was looking at gray wigs and canes that were left on a pile of random things in a shopping cart.

"What are you looking at," a curious voice asked from behind her, making her twitch in surprise. She wasn't expecting anyone to notice her absence.

"N-nothing much," she stuttered.

"Uh huh. Are those wigs and canes?"

"Maybe," she replied.

"What do you plan to do with them?" Before she could answer, he spoke again. "You remind me of Hinata-chan, 'ttebayo! She's always quiet and weird whenever I'm around, I don't know why. Kind of like you, only it's when you're around people other than Jade and your father, and now Itachi and the Teme!" He continued. "You know what? I'm going to teach you and Hinata-chan not to be so shy anymore, dattebayo!"

"You really don't have to do that," she finally managed to get out. "And haven't you ever thought that Hinata is only ever acts weird whenever you’re around because she likes you?"

"No, that can't be it, ‘ttebayo." Kim began to sweat. Hinata's crush on him was the most obvious thing in the world. How he could not see it was beyond her knowledge. "Why were you looking at those wigs and canes?"

"Well... I don't know if you would be interested, but..." she whispered her idea into the blond's ear. A big goofy grin spread across his face. This was going to be good.

A few minutes earlier with the others:

"Hey, Jade?" Naruto called out to the girl. "Do they have Ramen here?"

"Yeah it's in-" Before she could even finish Naruto was gone. Sakura clenched a fist at her teammate's antics. He had rushed out before he could even find out where he had to go.

"W-where's Kim?" Hinata asked.

"She probably went to go pee. I told her not to drink all that orange juice at breakfast," Jade answered. They continued walking until they reached the isles in the back. "Smell the shampoos and body washes before you buy them, and read the ingredients. Last time Kim had an allergic reaction to a body wash that she had bought. It was funny, for me not her."

"How was it funny," Itachi asked, curiosity leaking into his voice. He had wanted to learn as much as he could of his new sister. The good, the bad, and the embarrassing things. Everyone listened in, their interest piqued.

"She got a rash, and had these red patches all over her body. Me and her father tried so many things to get her to stop scratching. In the end, I had to sit on top of her while her father duck tapped oven-mitts on her hands. After that you could see her twitching and rubbing herself on anything to get rid of the itches," Jade recalled. She smiled thinking back on that time. She frowned remembering what happened afterwards. She had been stuck rubbing some type of lotion all over her friend's body, because Ren had refused to do it.

"Sasuke-kun, do you think this smells good," Sakura asked, holding a bottle of strawberry scented shampoo up to his nose. She gripped the bottle a little too tightly, and a good amount squirted out and onto Sasuke's face. Her eyes widened comically. "Sasuke-kun! I didn't mean to. I'm so, so sorry," she apologized, hanging her head.

The rest of the group waited with baited breath, wanting to know how the youngest Uchiha would react. Sasuke didn't know what came over him; maybe it was because he had been in a good mood for the past couple of days. He had his brother alive and well, and he had the sister he always dreamed of, so yeah. He was happy, why not act like a stupid teenager for once and have a bit of fun.

"Sakura," he spoke her name in a way that made a shiver run down her spine, the way that only he knew how.

"Y-yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"Do you think this smells good," he questioned, and did something so un-Sasuke like. He had reached over and grabbed a random bottle of body wash off the shelf and squirted it at her. She had a trail of light green body wash running down the side of her face. She looked up at Sasuke, only to see him smirking, as if he were challenging her. She was never one to back down from a fight.

"Eat strawberries, Sasuke-kun," she shouted, squirting her bottle. Too bad he had excellent reflexes and ducked. Too bad for Deidara though, who was standing behind Sasuke. Just like that the smile was wiped off his face, and replaced with a scowl that marred his boyish features.

"Oh no you don't, Pinky," Deidara shouted, getting a bottle of the closest thing next to him, and taking aim.

"Don't call me Pinky," Sakura muttered darkly, while dodging a stream of orange. Behind Sakura was Nagato, who ended up being hit. Deidara froze; he had just hit the leader of the Akatsuki with hair conditioner. Nagato took it all in stride, before a mischievous glint entered his eyes. A glint that was only ever seen in those of the Uzumaki clan. Nagato took two bottles off the shelf and took aim at the blond bomber, a wicked grin on his face that looked demented in Deidara's eyes.

Deidara took a direct hit. He was still in too much shock at what Nagato had done. He had never seen that side of the fearsome Akatsuki leader before. Jade entered the fray when her fellow artist didn't move. Just like that Konan had entered the fray. When Nagato had tried to get Sakura he missed, getting Hana and Hinata instead. Itachi and Kakashi joined forces, when Sakura and Sasuke made a surprise attack.

Soon the isle was turned into a battle field of sorts. An array of different colors and smells coated the area. The isle's occupants smelled good and looked like human rainbows. They were all laughing, chuckling, and giggling. They were having a great time. They all laughed harder when Kakashi got a lump of green-ish yellow goop in his hair, and Sasuke had a bottle of Gorilla Boogers clutched in his hands.

"You will never take me alive, 'ttebayo!" They group froze when they heard a familiar voice shout.

"You young whipper snappers just don't know when to quit!" Another familiar voice shouted.

"They're gaining on us, Marge!"

"Gun the engine, Bert! Put the pedal to the metal!"

"There aren't any pedals on this thing! There's only handle bars, dattebayo!"

"Then squeeze them!"

The group’s eyes widened as a whole, when Kim and Naruto came into their line of vision. They were both riding on the electric scooters, that the elderly or disabled used, they wore matching short curly gray wigs, and both were waving wooden walking canes high in the air.

"Hey Kakashi, get your cane and help us out here," Kim called out to the white haired man.

"Yeah, us Senior Citizens have got to stick together, dattebayo," Naruto added with a foxy grin.

"I'm 29! I am not old," Kakashi yelled out indigently. Kim and Naruto sent him pouts. While they were distracted by making faces at Kakashi, they lost control of their scooters. When the scooters were about to collide, Naruto and Kim jumped off before they could make contact. The two stood up and walked over to where the others were standing.

"What happened to you guys," they asked in unison. They had just noticed that everyone was covered in good smelling goo-like substances.

"Sakura," they answered as a whole.

"Hey!" Sakura exclaimed offended. "It was an accident. Sasuke-kun started it!"

"Hn," came the accused's eloquent reply.

"What did you guys do," Hana questioned. Kim and Naruto shared a look.

"We got bored," they answered together again.

"Hey!" A shout broke through their conversation. The group looked over to where the shout came from, only to see the manager. He paused for a bit, and they could see him mouthing numbers. "You twelve, follow me," the man ordered. They were led to a room in the front of the store. There they had their names and pictures taken and hung up on a wall. "You twelve are permanently banned from this store. If you are spotted trying to enter, we will be forced to alert the authorities." With that they were pushed out the entrance doors.

They all busted out laughing. Then they headed to the restroom areas to clean themselves off, and continue with the rest of their shopping.


	8. You Got The Job

They were all laughing when they regrouped outside of the restrooms. The mood was light. They had cleaned up as much as they could. Although, they still smelled really good. A combination of something flowery and fruity.

"Well, I guess we could always go to Walmart later," Kim mused, playing with her gray wig. She handed it over to Naruto for safe keeping.

"They have a stores that sells walls," shouted Naruto. Kim and Jade sweat dropped.

"No, there isn't. That's a hardware store. Walmart sells just about anything you might need. They have a food market, a clothing department, basic everyday needs, a pharmacy, hunting and fishing department-" Jade was cut off.

"Okay, Jade I think they get it. Walmart has everything," Kim stated the obvious. "Just tell us where we need to go next."

"Fine," Jade sighed out. "We're going to JCPenny, for two reasons." She stopped to make sure that she had everyone’s attention. When she was sure she did, she continued. "Reason one, we can find all their clothes and underwear there. Reason two; I don't want to get banned from one of my favorite stores. Though we did have a hell of a good time back there. And lastly, there's a sale."

"That's three reasons," Kim intoned, eyes wandering from the upper floors to the dirty blonde.

"Shut up."

That having been said, they all headed to the other end of the mall. It took a lot less time to venture across the mall. That was only because it was still early on a Saturday morning, and all the pre-teens, teens and adults were either still asleep or at work. Thus, making all mall activity sparse.

They arrived at JCPenny a good five minutes later. Kim power walked the whole way, causing everyone to keep up with her fast pace. Though that was her normal walking speed. Who ever said short people walked slow, obviously had never met Kim.

The entire group was led to the underwear section of the store by Jade. The boys went their way to pick out some boxers, briefs, or whatever they wore. Kim and Jade stayed to help out with the girls.

"SENSEI! YOU SHOULD GET THE ONES WITH THE RED HEARTS! NAGATO, YOU SHOULD GET THE ONES WITH THE FROGS ON THEM! I THINK I'M GOING TO GET A PAIR OF THOSE TOO!" A voice shouted out, loud enough for the girls, and probably the entire store, to hear.

"Typical Naruto," Sakura stated, shaking her head. Hinata just blushed a deep red at the thought of Naruto wearing boxers with little cartoon frogs on them. The other girls just shared knowing looks.

"So," said Jade clapping her hands together. "Panties, bras, and sleepwear can all be found right here. The stuff here is okay, but when we find everyone suitable jobs and you all get your first paychecks, then I can take you guys to my favorite underwear store," she said with a gleam in her eyes. Kim rolled her eyes at that. The underwear was fine from there; it was just that Jade liked hers to be a whole lot more flashy.

"So does anyone need help with sizes? I don't know if the sizes are different where you all come from," asked Kim.

"The sizes seem to be the same as back home," Konan stated, looking at a tag one of the nearby bras. With that the girls continued on with their search. When they were done, they met back up with the boys. Hinata was blushing like mad, at the thought of Naruto seeing her undergarments, and attempting to hide them underneath a pair of pajama pants.

Kim went to check all the price tags of the things everyone had chosen, and tallied up how much everyone had left to spend. When she was done telling everyone how much they had left, they all continued their shopping.

Jade was running back and forth, making sure everyone picked clothes that weren't ugly. When she tried telling Naruto that orange was a fashion don't, much to Sasuke's delight, Kim had to jump in and pull her away. Kakashi was displeased to note that the store didn't sell face masks, but he did find a few scarfs that he liked. Sakura and Hinata were helping each other out. Konan had finished, and was helping Nagato. Hana somehow ended up helping Itachi. Deidara, done with his shopping, was arguing with an old lady who had told him to get a haircut when she found out that he was not a girl. Sasuke was trying to avoid his little, but growing, fan club, while trying to pick out some shirts.

After all that nonsense was over they headed over to check-out. They all paid for their things, got their bags, and exited the store. Back in the center of the mall, they were at a loss. It was 9:45 in the morning. Still too early for lunch, but they were all hungry. They settled for getting fruit cups from the food court. Sitting down at a table with their snacks, they were still at a loss.

"If we're all looking for jobs, save for Jade, then we should split up," Kim stated. At the looks on everyone’s faces, she lamented. "It's not a good idea to work at the same place as your friends. You'll get distracted a lot, and get fired." Her and Jade exchanged knowing looks.

"I think I can get Deidara in at the Art Studio with me. I teach a sketching class there, maybe he could teach a class of his own. We've never had a sculptor before." The ninja that knew Deidara's version of art, raised an eyebrow at the blond.

"What," exclaimed Deidara, when he noticed the looks. They dared to judge his art. "You guys don't think I can do it, un?" It was Itachi that answered.

"We now you can teach them how to sculpt, but probably not without blowing someone up," said Itachi. Deidara narrowed his eyes at his rival, and stood up from his seat.

"I can do it without blowing someone or something up." With that he grabbed Jade by the arm, and left mumbling something that sounded like 'stupid Uchiha, always judging my art with those damn eyes.' Kim gave Itachi a disappointed look.

"What?"

"You don't have to be so negative," Kim said, getting after Itachi. "At least give him a chance before writing it off as a failure."

"I'm sorry," the eldest Uchiha apologized, shocking everybody at the table save for Sasuke.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to, but what's said is said. Though try being a little more supportive next time,” Kim smiled. Itachi just nodded, face blank. "Okay, before I let you all roam around the mall; I have a few things to warn you about. Try not to mention the fact that you're from a different dimension, you'll probably end up getting locked in the loony bin. Don't mention anything about your ninja abilities. From what I've been able to come up with, your home dimension is similar to Japanese culture. So if anyone asks, you're from Japan."

"So long story short, we are to act like civilians, are Japanese, and try not to stick out and bring to much attention to ourselves," Kakashi summarized, throwing a not so subtle glance at the original members of Team 7.

"Pretty much. Do you guys think you can handle it," Kim asked nervously.

"We can handle it, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted, jumping up. With that said, or shouted, the group dispersed, and wandered off in different directions. Kim caught Hana before she could get too far, and gave her directions to the pet store.

***

After a ride on the escalator, Jade and Deidara were standing inside the Art Studio. They had to be quiet because of an ongoing water-color class, in one of the back rooms. Jade and Deidara walked around the art store, taking some time to admire and discuss some of the pieces that were out on display.

"Jade!" The two artists turned around to see a middle aged olive-skinned man with his arms spread open. He had graying hair and green eyes filled with wonder. He wore dark green pants, a white button-up shirt, a black blazer, and a gray scarf. He also had a camera hanging around his neck.

"Alex! It's so good to see you," exclaimed Jade, as she walked over to embrace the man.

"Jade, where have you been? I've had to cancel all of your classes. Your students are missing you," Alex said in his thick Italian accent.

"I was busy. My father cut me off, and I got kicked out of my apartment."

"That sounds terrible," he gasped. He began fussing over the girl, looking over every inch of her person to make sure she had been taking care of herself in the two weeks he had been out of town. "Are you all right? Do you have a place to stay?"

"It was, but I'm fine. Kim, you remember Kim, gave me a place to stay, so it's all good now."

"Ah! Kim! Such a sweet girl. Shy, but sweet. Very, very sweet," he smiled remembering the meeting with the awkward and clumsy girl. "And, who do we have here?" He was looking over at Deidara. Jade threw an arm around Alex's shoulder, and lead him over to the blond.

"Alex, this is Deidara. He’s one of my friends that's going to be staying with me and Kim for an indefinite amount of time. I was wondering if you could give him a job."

"Jade, I cannot."

"What do you mean you can’t?"

"I cannot. We are-" Jade cut him off.

"Deidara's an amazing sculptor. The things he can make out of play-dough are amazing! And that's just 'cause he was bored."

"A sculptor, you say." Alex put his hand to his chin, nails raking through the light stubble. "Come with me to the back. I would like to test your skills," he said walking away.

As Alex walked away, Jade stopped in front of Deidara. "Why are you being so quiet? In all the time I've known you, which is not very long, you're not one to be quiet. The only time you're quiet is when you're working."

"Sorry. He just creeps me out a bit, and what's with his voice, un?"

"You get used to him after a while. He's a really nice guy. He's Italian, so he has an accent," the blonde explained.

"That will take some time. So, he has an accent kind of like Kim, un. Kim's Italian, whatever that is, un?" The blonde bomber questioned.

"Not as long as you're thinking. You noticed her accent?"

The blond nodded. "She sometimes rolls her Rs."

"Kim's not Italian though. She's Mexican or Hispanic, they're both the same, I think. Though her accent is a lot less noticeable than Alex's..." she trailed off, before she realized what was happening. She herself had done it many times to her best friend. "Stop stalling!"

"It was working," he smirked. Jade grabbed his arm in a vice like grip dragging him off to the back room.

"I know he can be a bit eccentric sometimes, but you won't really see him around all that much. All you need to do is impress him with your skills, and you got the job. Just don't make anything explode."

The blond groaned sadly.

When they got to the back, Alex had everything set up already. The room was completely empty except for a single work table in the center. On the table was a large container of modeling clay among other things. Deidara immediately set to work sculpting. When he was finished he had created a replica of the mall from the outside.

Alex was moved to tears. The fine attention to detail and the perfect textures. Soon Alex had his arms around Deidara, and told him he had the job. The blond was scowling, while Jade was giving him a thumbs up.

Deidara had gotten a job at the Art Studio.

***

Sakura was bored. She didn't even have the first idea where to look for a job. She had been roaming around the entire mall, trying to find a store that caught her eye. Sadly there were none. Though there were a few places she made note of to go shopping at later, when she found a job and got paid.

The pink haired girl sighed. She would bet that no one, not even Naruto, was having the same problem as her. Then she decided that she would just enter all the stores until she thought of something.

She walked into a clothing store and started looking around. To be honest, she liked what she saw. The clothes in the store were really cute. She tried on a few outfits. Though she had the most fun trying on the hats.

"Is there anything I can help you with," a voice interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see a woman a few years older than her, maybe in her early twenties.

"Yeah, a job would be nice," Sakura mumbled. Apparently the other woman still heard her.

"Well, if it's a job you want. You can have it," said the woman beaming, like the girl was the answer to her prayers. Maybe she was. After that last girl, she really needed to find a replacement.

"Are you serious?" There was no disguising the shock in her voice.

"Yes, I am. The last girl we had here quit because a fortune cookie told her to, or so she said." The pink haired girl had a look of disbelief on her face. "I know dumb reason. Though your hair might be a problem, I mean, it’s pink."

"This is my natural hair color though. I wouldn't want to change it," she said fingering a lock of her hair.

"Well, I like you. You seem sweet. I'll higher you anyways." The woman smiled and led her to the check-out counter. She pulled out a sheet of paper, and handed it to her. "This is the store application. You already have the job, but I need to have one on file," she explained. "Can you start on Monday?" Sakura nodded. "Okay, I'll see you then at two." She walked out of the store grinning.

Sakura had gotten a job at American Eagle.

***

Hinata was having the same problem Sakura had. She was positively bored. She was getting tired of walking around randomly. The dark haired girl ended up taking the escalator up to the second floor. There she discovered a whole bunch of new shops.

As she was walking around, she had seen Jade and Deidara talking to someone. She was sure it was about him getting a job. She would even bet that Naruto was not having as hard of a time, as she was.

Hinata liked to cook. Maybe she could get a job at one of the restaurants. No. She specifically remembered Kim warning them before they dispersed, that working at restaurants were the worst jobs a person could get, and that they paid horribly.

Once again, Hinata was as lost as ever. That was until she came across a pair of cute shoes on a store display. The Hyuuga heiress wasn't usually one for fashion, but she just couldn't resist at times. She entered the store. Maybe she could get a job at the shoe store. After further inspection of the shoes, she decided. Yes, she would get a job at the shoe store. She also decided that she would buy those shoes with her first paycheck. With that thought in mind, Hinata walked up to the man sitting behind the counter.

"What can I help you with," the man asked.

"I was wondering if you were, by any chance, looking for new employees," Hinata responded.

The man stood up from his seat. He looked Hinata, up and down. He nodded.

"Alright, you've got the job." He grabbed a sheet of paper from underneath the counter. "I want you to bring this back to me filled out on Monday when you start." He handed her the paper.

"Thank you, sir," she said walking out of the store.

Hinata had gotten a job at Journeys.

***

Nagato was wondering how he got into this mess. He never had to search for a job. He was a god, and he really should stop referring to himself as a god. He never had the need to search for a job. The red head had seen a few things that appealed to him. Then there was always the fact that they all could be stuck in a different dimension for an indefinite amount of time.

Konan was usually the one to take care of such basic needs. No. He wouldn't rely on his childhood best friend for something like that. He wouldn't abuse her kindness. By some miracle he was once again able bodied. Now it was his turn to take care of her. With that in mind, the red head set off with newfound determination... up until he slipped in a puddle of soda.

Though he had never shown it before, Nagato had a sense of humor. The only person alive who had ever seen it was Konan. The time he had spent training under Jiraiya, had corrupted his sense of humor. Just a bit. Especially, when he took him with him to go do research. That was why when he saw a certain store, he just had to go in and explore. He was having a blast.

"Are you by any chance looking for a job?" Nagato turned around and met a man in his thirties.

"Yeah, actually I am," Nagato said a bit confused. The man grabbed him by the arm, and led him to woman about his age. He had to fight the urge to treat him as a threat.

"I quit! You can give this weirdo my fucking job, you bitch," the man spat out. The woman just sighed as the enraged man stormed out of the store, knocking things down on his way out.

"I'll take the job, if you give it to me," stated Nagato, surprising the woman. "This does seem like an interesting place to work. I can start Monday." The woman nodded. She handed him an application.

"Have this completed, and bring it with you when you come in."

Nagato had gotten a job at Spencer's.

***

Sasuke had died and gone to hell. That was what he thought at least. He was minding his own business, and walking around the mall looking for a job. There was no Sakura and no Naruto around to annoy him. He was basking in the silence. That was until he realized he was being followed. At first it was one girl, then it was two, and then another and so on until they had formed a group. No matter where he went or where he tried to hide, they always managed to find him. It was almost as if they were part blood hound. He was a ninja for Kami's sake! It shouldn't have been so hard to evade a bunch of civilians.

Then an angel came to rescue him. Though he just liked to call her his sister. Kim was walking in in his direction. She hadn't noticed him since she was too busy trying to choose a place she wanted to work at. That was why she was surprised to hear someone call her name.

Sasuke's fan girls glared daggers at Kim. Although he didn't like them, he thought them lucky that it was Kim, and not Sakura, he had run into. He knew she grew out of her fangirl ways, but she still loved him, or so he thought. Kim felt a chill run up her spine. She looked to the side and saw a mob of teenaged girls glaring at her; despite being a teenaged girl herself, teenaged girl scared her. Then she looked to Sasuke.

"Um, what are those," she asked, gesturing to the glaring girls. It was really starting to creep her out.

"Fangirls," was his reply. She nodded like she understood, but she honestly didn't.

"Well baby brother, have you found a job yet?" The glaring fan girls smirked. So she was his sister.

"I'm not a baby; I'm only a year younger than you. I'm even taller then you. No, I haven't, not yet," he replied. The mob stopped glaring, and sighed dreamily at the sound of his voice. They had hearts in their eyes, and seemingly melted into puddles of goo. Kim could only stare.

"They're a bit creepy." Sasuke nodded. "Since I'm here and I want to make sure you don't end up getting raped or kidnapped, why don't we continue our search together," offered Kim. Sasuke nodded, and internally sighed in relief. He would have protection from the fangirls.

Together they continued their job hunt. Though Kim was still wary of the mob of girls that were following them. Sasuke stopped walking when he noticed that Kim was no longer beside him. He turned around and saw her talking to someone inside of a clothing store. She walked back up to him holding a sheet of paper in her hands.

"I got a job," Kim sang, dancing around Sasuke. He only smirked at her antics. She had a pretty singing voice. He wanted a sister, he got one. Only thing was, she tended to act a bit like Naruto at times. Though not as bad as his best friend, he was on a whole different level.

Then she suddenly pulled him into the store directly across from the one she was just in. They both came out a few minutes later. Sasuke had a sheet of paper in hand.

Kim had gotten a job at Forever 21.

Sasuke had gotten a job at Hot Topic.

***

Once Hana got the directions to the pet store, she immediately made her way there. She had thought she had gotten it better than the others. While the others, excluding Jade and Deidara, had to go search through all the stores in the mall, she knew exactly where to go. She was feeling excited. That excitement wore off as soon as she met the manager of the store. Low and behold, the manager turned out to be that gossiping woman from the other day. Hana couldn't help but recognize her from her time as a cat. She just hoped she didn't have to work near the woman.

"Why, hello. How can I help you," the old woman greeted, eyes still as intense as Hana remembered.

"Hello. I was wondering if you were still hiring," Hana said politely.

"Aren't you just a sweet little thing," the woman gushed. "Do you like animals?"

"Yes, very much. I'm actually studying to become a vet," she explained, heading Kim's warning, and coming up with a lie that wasn't to far from the truth. Back in Konoha, she already was an established veterinarian, though one never did stop studying.

"Really, now? Maybe since you're studying animals and medicine, you could warn some of these pet owners about the dangers of dying their pets all the colors of the rainbow. You know I once saw this one woman walk in here with the most adorable little dog. When she walked out he was green. Green! Can you believe that? Then there were these two girls. They walked in here with pink and blue cats. How can the-"

Hana tuned the old broad out. She was getting a bit irritated. Kim and Jade were her friends. They were giving her a place to live, lending her their clothes. Heck Kim's father gave her money to get started. So, yes they were her friends. How dare this old hag, gossip about them.

"Here you go sweetie." The woman handed her a sheet. "Fill this out; bring it back on Monday when you start your trial period. Now I have to get back to work."

Hana had gotten a job at Pet Smart.

***

Naruto was having the time of his life. Even though they were in a different dimension, the original Team 7 was back together. That was all that really mattered to him. Hinata and Kiba's sister were with them too, along with three formerly dead and one still alive Akatsuki members. He knew he could trust Nagato and Konan. Deidara seemed to form a bond with Jade, so maybe he could be trusted in time. Sasuke and Itachi had most definitely formed a bond with Kim. If Sasuke trusted his brother, then so would he with no questions asked. He was just glad to have his best friend and rival back.

He was exploring all the stores. He would walk in one look through all they had to offer, and then back out. Like a few others Naruto was making a mental list of all the things he wanted to buy. In true Naruto fashion he was as loud as usual, though he was trying not to cause too much of a ruckus.

In the end he was just leisurely walking around, with his arms behind his head. His stomach chose that moment to rumble. With a new problem arising, Naruto abandoned his job hunt in favor of finding a snack. Those cookies from that one stand he had passed by smelled pretty good.

As he was walking away from the cookie stand, a man called out to him. Naruto was confused. He had a few cookies shoved into his mouth, and could only point to himself silently asking if the man was referring to him. The man nodded his head, and motioned for the blond to walk over.

"Hey kid, are you by any chance looking for a job." He continued before the blond could reply with his answer. "Look kid, I manage a video game store, and the guy I hired keeps scaring off all the customers. I did some research, and found out that most people don't want to buy their games from a middle aged man that still lives in his mother's basement. You on the other hand are young and cheerful looking. I'd bet you'd attract a lot of customers... It's settled you're hired." The man gave him an application to fill out and left, telling him to come in on Monday.

Naruto read over the sheet. He shrugged his shoulders, and swallowed the cookies he had in his mouth. He thought that was easy, and walked away.

Naruto had gotten a job at GameStop.

***

Konan was scowling. Cat calls and whistles were being sent in her direction. She was generally a kind and caring person, but even she had her limits which she was slowly reaching. Anymore and she would snap and give those perverted men the worst paper cuts of their lives. She remembered Kim's earlier warning, not to draw too much attention. So, getting back at those horrid men was out of the question. She figured she could just ignore them all, and hope she found a suitable place to work at soon. Very soon.

Even though she was a nice girl, Konan had taken a liking to body jewelry. The look on Nagato's and Yahiko's faces when she came back one day with her navel pierced was hilarious. When Nagato had created his six paths, she was the one who had placed all the chakra rods in. She had to admit that she had a bit of fun placing them in. That was how she ended up, looking over a display of body jewelry.

"How can I help you?"

"Are you hiring," was her immediate reply.

"Do you have any prior experience with a piercing gun?"

"I pierced my own navel and lower lip. So, I would like to think I do." The bored woman handed her a sheet of paper.

"You got the job. Fill this out at bring it in with you on your first day of work. You start Monday," said the woman, flipping to the next page in her magazine.

Konan had gotten a job at Body Jewelry & Piercing Corner.

***

Kakashi and Itachi had bumped into each other, and decided to continue their search together. Kakashi had tried getting a job at a book store, but then he was told that he wouldn't be allowed to read during working hours. Something similar had happened to Itachi, when he was told that he would need to get a haircut, he walked straight out. The two men were walking together in silence. That was until they were both suddenly pulled in different directions. The thought to not react violently lingering in the back of their minds.

"Do you think this smells good," asked a fairly attractive blonde older woman. Itachi couldn't help but remember the same question being asked to his brother, before a soap war broke out. Not wanting to seem rude he replied.

"Excuse me?"

"It's just, an attractive man like you would know what smells nice," the older woman purred seductively. On the inside Itachi's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. He was sent back into a time when he still resided in Konoha. A time when he used to be stalked by creepy fangirls. He coughed.

"Well, I wouldn't know much about what smells good," he replied a little awkwardly.

"I just thought that a fine man such as yourself, would know what he likes," she purred, fluttering her eyelashes. He took a deep breath.

"If you wish, I will help you find a suitable scent," he said in a monotone. Before he knew it, he had a line of women lined up behind him, all wanting some manly assistance. He couldn't help but wonder if Kakashi had found himself in a similar situation.

***

"I need the opinion of a man," purred one of the four women, who had napped Kakashi.

"Really," he said in his lazy drawl. The women giggled, and fanned their faces.

"And who better to give us their opinion, than a strong and mysterious man, such as yourself," one said latching herself onto his left arm, and another onto his right.

"A very, very strong man," the fourth said. Kakashi put his book away.

"Well if you insist," he said lazily, but interested. They giggled.

The women led him around the store. They picked up random articles, of things they were interested in. They were blushing and giggling. They took their things to the check-out counter. Waving goodbye to Kakashi then left.

A woman walked up to him, with Itachi in tow. The two newcomers stopped in front of Kakashi.

"I have no clue what the two of you did, but I want the two of you." They both gave her raised eyebrows at her forward request. "I-I meant, that I wanted the two of you to work for me. You," she pointed to Itachi. "You brought in so many customers today, and you," she pointed at Kakashi. "You got those four women to actually buy something. They come in here almost every day, and they never buy a single thing." She handed them similar sheets of paper. "I manage both of these stores. I want the two of you to come in on Monday with these sheets filled out." The two nodded as the woman walked away.

Itachi had gotten a job at Bath & Body Works.

Kakashi had gotten a job at Victoria's Secret.


	9. Illegal Aliens

Before they all went their separate ways, in search of jobs, they all made an agreement. Once they had found a place to work, they were to meet back at the food court. There they would get lunch before heading back to the loft. All, but two, were sitting around a large round table, waiting to order.

"I'm so hungry," Naruto groaned, his head resting on the table. He stood up and lifted his shirt, exposing his stomach. Hinata blushed, and a few girls nearby giggled. "Look at this! Look at this! It's like I'm getting skinnier by the second! At this rate I could die, 'ttebayo! I'm going to wither away into nothing!"

"Naruto! You idiot," yelled Sakura, hitting Naruto upside the head.

Everyone gave Kakashi a questioning look, silently asking him if he was going to do something. The white haired man just shrugged, and continued reading his green book.

"I have to agree with the idiot blond," stated Deidara. They all sent him confused looks at his statement.

Konan was the first to speak what was on all their minds. "Deidara? You do realize that, you're a blond too?"

"Yeah. What's your point?" The blond bomber just looked confused. He had not seen anything wrong with what he had just said.

"Never mind," Konan sighed, giving up. Arguing with the blond was a lost cause. He would get angry, lose his temper, and blow something up. No one really wanted to deal with that.

"What would you all like to drink," a blonde waitress asked, fluttering her eyes at the boys. Konan narrowed her eyes, when the girl's eyes landed on Nagato. The girl paid her no mind, and pushed out her chest.

"We'll all have iced tea," Hana replied, putting the menu down. The girl shot her a look, and jotted down the order.

"What about Sasuke-kun and Kim?" Jade looked over at Sakura. She had forgotten about those two.

"Two more are coming. They'll have iced tea as well," Jade said, smiling at the girl, before the waitress walked away. A couple minutes passed before the waitress returned while Deidara was in the middle of one of his many rants about art.

"Oh! So you're an artist," their waitress exclaimed, as she was setting their drinks on the table. Deidara nodded, a bit miffed at being interrupted. "I love art! You know I'm planning on becoming an actress. I'll be a star, and in movies!"

"You do realize, that you're in the wrong state if you want that career," a voice questioned. The waitress turned around to see a girl with ebony hair. The newcomer continued. "This is Texas, not California." She got closer. "But you wouldn't know that. Considering that your hair dye most likely fried your brain along with your hair."

Everyone sitting at the table, including the ebony haired boy standing behind the newcomer, all tried to hold back their smirks, laughs, or smiles. The waitress looked around, thinking that one of the guys would defend her, she thought wrong. She stalked away in a huff, her tray tucked under her arm.

"Kimberly Ann! What did you do to your hair," Jade shouted, standing up after getting a good look at the Latina. She walked over to her friend, and started running her finger through the younger girl's hair. Kim slapped her hand away with a sharp pointed glare, and took a seat between Itachi and Naruto; Sasuke taking the only other available seat between his brother and Sakura. "Well, someone’s in a bad mood," Jade muttered as she retook her seat.

"Hn," came Kim's grunt of a reply. She crossed her arms, and slouched in her seat, a frown marring her features.

"Wow! You really are the Teme's sister," Naruto exclaimed with a cheeky grin directed towards his best friend. Sasuke glared at his best friend.

"That's why you took so long," questioned the blond artist, ignoring the growing hostility between the young male members of Team 7, and effectively getting everyone back on track.

"It's not like I had much of a choice. It was either this or look stupid," Kim grouched sinking further in her seat.

"Why? What happened," Jade asked, concern lacing her voice.

"She got stuck," Sasuke stated, and Kim's glare hardened. Everyone looked at him, silently asking him to elaborate. He let out a sigh. "We were trying to escape my fangirls, but no matter where we went they found us. So we hid in a clothing rack. The front of Kim's hair got stuck on one of the metal hangers."  
  
"But if you untangled her hair from the hanger, then there wouldn't have been a reason for a haircut," reasoned Jade. Kim glared harder if that was even possible.

"I didn't think about that, I just pulled it out. After I did that, the hair was just about down to her nose. She's been in a bad mood since after she saw her reflection," Sasuke finished.

"Do you know how much hair they had to cut off just to make it look decent? There was a mountain of hair on the floor! Then the stupid hair stylist just had to go and add some layers in. I have bangs! Bangs! I haven't had bangs since I was five," Kim exploded, gesturing to her new haircut. The stylist had taken a razor to her hair, and gave her messy bangs, that fell just below her eyebrows, and added a few long layers.

"It looks good. Kind of like mine, only I don't have any layers and my bangs aren’t as messy," Hinata said with a smile. That encouraged the other girls to jump in, and tell Kim that it wasn't as bad as she thought. Itachi just patted his little brother on the shoulder. The rest of the guys just sent him pity filled looks. You just didn't mess with a girl’s hair, especially your sisters. Deidara knew that first hand.

"Can we order our food, now? I'm starving," Nagato complained. "Where is our waitress, anyways?"

The group of twelve soon got tired of waiting on their waitress, and decided to go back to the loft and order take out. They picked up their shopping bags and headed back home. As they were slowly approaching the shop, they saw a man get in his car and leave.

"Hey old man we're home," Jade shouted out into the room as she threw the front door open.

"I'm not old," came the indigent reply. Ren walked into the room to see them all putting their shopping bags on the floor, and taking seats on the sofa, exhausted after a long morning. "What happened to your hair," he asked his daughter. His daughter just glared at Sasuke, and stayed quiet. "Anyways... I hope you all found jobs."

"I got a job at the Art Studio, teaching a clay sculpting class. Even though my boss creeps me out," Deidara said, giving Jade a look.

"I got hired at a clothing store called American Eagle. I don't think the manager believed me when I said that this is my natural hair color," stated Sakura, twirling a lock of her hair.

"I saw a pair of shoes that I liked, and decided to work at a shoe store called Journeys," Hinata said, blushing in embarrassment.

"Some random man walked up to me, and asked me if I wanted a job at Spencer's. The he took me to the manager, quit his job, and told her to give me his job," Nagato informed like it was nothing new.

"I saved Sasuke from his fan girls, and a got a job at Forever 21. Though I wish I had left him to the crazy fan girls," Kim muttered tugging on the ends of her new bangs as if it would make the hair grow.

"Kim dragged me into a store, and the manager offered me a job at Hot Topic," Sasuke said, returning Kim's glare for her comment.

"I got a job at Pet Smart. I can't wait to work with the animals they have in the store," Hana gushed. "They even mentioned that I could work as a dog trainer."

"I was eating cookies, when some old man ran up to me talking about surveys. Then he gave me a paper and told me to show up to work at GameStop on Monday," Naruto said offhandedly.

"I got a job at Body & Jewelry Corner. All the girl asked me was, if I was good with a piercing gun," Konan said.

"I got kidnapped by some random woman. Apparently, I boosted sales so much the manager offered me a job at Bath & Body Works," stated Itachi.

"I got kidnapped by a group of women, who wanted my opinion. The manager said that they went in everyday, but never bought anything, and today they did. She offered me a job at Victoria's Secret," Kakashi retold lazily. Everyone just stared.

"Kakashi-sensei you pervert," Sakura and Naruto chimed together. He just shrugged and went back to reading his little green book.

"Oh! I love you," Jade shouted, jumping up and tackling Kakashi in a bone-crushing embrace. "Now I can get a discount whenever I shop there! I love to shop at all those places. With the exception of Spencer's, GameStop, that piercing place, and Pet Smart, but the rest I love! Kim," Jade said quieting down. "I don't think working at Forever 21 is such a good idea."

"What, why," Kim questioned a bit confused.

"That place is super girly, and you're more of a Tomboy."

"I can be girly," Kim said defiantly.

"You hate cutting your hair, for one. You don't even own a skirt, much less a dress. Can you even walk in heels," Jade questioned.

"I guess you're right, for once," Kim muttered in agreement. Though to be fair, she spent the majority of her time working in the shop. More often than not she was covered in oil. Jeans, blacks shirts, and her oil stained Converse were the more practical choice. It's not like she was opposed to wearing those sorts of things, she just didn't have the time to wear them.

"I know I am... Hey," Jade shouted, hearing her end comment.

"But that doesn't mean that I can't work there. I'll just dress nicer, without wearing a dress and heels." She made a mental note to herself to browse the shops under the guise of visiting her friends. Another shopping trip with Jade was something to be avoided at all costs.

"We're hungry," Naruto and Nagato said in unison. They were both getting tired of waiting for food. Everyone made faces at the thought of cooking.

"I'll order pizza," Ren said, getting up from his seat on the coffee table. Taking his phone out of his pocket he paused, "What does everyone want?"

"Mushroom, onion, green pepper, and hamburger with extra cheese for Kim. A meat lovers for me. That weird buffalo wing pizza for you. I'm not really sure what everyone else might want. Do they even have pizza where you guys are from?"

After finding out that the ninja had no clue what pizza was, the three knowledgeable ones filled them in. They ended up ordering thirteen small pizzas, cheese sticks, and hot wings. While they were waiting for the pizza to arrive, Ren decided to let them in on what he had did that morning.

"So, while you all were busy shopping and finding jobs at the mall, I did some things of my own. Since you're all going to be working and all, you all will need certain documents. Such as, birth certificates, social security cards, IDs, and driver's licenses for those of you old enough to actually drive."

"How didn't we think of that," Kakashi said, his eyes widening.

"There's no way we can work without those," Itachi added.

"Don't start freaking out," Ren commanded, effectively silencing any further comments from the others in the room.

"Kim," Jade called looking over to her friend, worry making her voice thick.

"What?"

"How can your dad be so calm, at a moment like this? They could all be mistaken for illegal immigrants, and accidentally get deported to Japan. If anyone finds out about their super powers, they could wind up in a government facility," she wondered. Kim just shrugged her shoulders, and pointed to her dad.

“I don't want to be experimented on, dattebayo!”

Ren coughed to regain their attention.

"So, like I said, I did some things of my own this morning. When I was in prison, I met a man who could create near perfect forgeries. I met with him, and gave him some pictures of you all. He did the rest, and came by just a while ago to drop off the finished documents," Ren said, dropping a stack of folders on the coffee table. "Everything you might need is in here, and unless you commit some major crime, you'll be fine."

"You were in prison," Jade screeched pointing at the man she considered a father, then to her best friend she cried, "He was in prison."

"Yeah. You do know that he's a reformed criminal, right?"

"WHAT!"

"Apparently, not," Kim muttered. The ninja just shrugged it off. Ren was a kind man. They never felt an ounce of killer intent coming from the man. Besides, most of them couldn't talk, unless they wanted to be called out on being hypocritical.

"What did you do to get thrown in prison," Naruto wondered aloud. Sakura hit him over the head telling him to mind his own business. They all awkwardly turned to face the man.

"It's okay. He's just curious, he means no harm," Ren defended the young blond boy, "but I don't really like to talk about it. That part of my life is over now." Just then the doorbell downstairs chimed, saving Ren from further explanations.

The rest of the day was spent eating pizza, and watching movies. Jade introduced them all to her favorite horror movies. Kim introduced Naruto, mush to the displeasure of everyone, to orange soda. They all had a good time. Jade was having the time of her life tormenting Kim, scaring her every chance she got. So much so, the girl had somehow managed to wedge herself between the Uchiha brothers at one point.

Soon day turned into night. No one went to bed until about 3:00 in the morning.

Jade being Jade, snuck into Kim's room and found a nice hiding place in the closest. Just as Kim had gotten comfortable, she jumped out making the ebony haired girl scream in terror. Jade continued to torment her best friend for the rest of the weekend. By Sunday night, Kim was so freaked out she couldn't sleep. She was too afraid that something or someone would jump out at her again. Soon she couldn't take it.

"Jade that bitch," Kim muttered, as she got out of bed and walked to her father's room. The door was locked. She was freaking out. She swore she could hear footsteps. Fuck this, she thought. She ran to her older brother's room, and hopped in to bed with him. She snuggled in between Itachi and Sasuke.

"What are you doing," Itachi mumbled sleepily. His eyes were barely open.

"Jade keeps freaking me out. Please let me sleep in here," Kim begged making the most pitiful expression she could muster.

"Fine." With that he turned around and fell asleep. She had brought her own pillow and blanket with her. She got comfortable. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard someone speak.

"You're a weird one," Kakashi spoke from the bottom bunk.

"Shut up." She turned over and fell asleep, faintly hearing someone chuckling.


	10. First Day

Monday morning was utter chaos. They all, by some coincidence, had to be at work at 10:00 in the morning. The group of twelve had set their alarms set for 8:00. They wanted to have time to get showered, dressed, and eat breakfast. Twelve people, five bathrooms, and no one liked to cook. It was a recipe for disaster.

Ren sat back with a cup of coffee watching the scene before him. He had woken up at 5:00, as was usual for him during the weekdays. He told the guys to wake up earlier than the girls, now they were all waiting for one of them to get out of the shower. Ren stood back up, his break over, and headed back down to the shop. On his way out he handed Naruto an envelope.

After about an hour and a half, they group was finished with their morning routines. Some were excited, some were nervous, and some had no feelings for their first day of work. Everyone left, heading to cross the interstate to get to the mall. They all couldn't help but wonder what their first day of work would be like.

***

"Okay, class!" Jade clapped her hands to get the attention of all the people gathered in the room, though most of them continued their conversations in hushed tones. "Today we're going to be doing something different." That seemed to get their attention. "One of my very good friends, is going to be taking over for today. If anyone happens to like what he teaches, you'll be able to sign up for his new class, which will be held in room 4, the room across the hall." With that she motioned for Deidara to step forward and address the class.

"Hello my name is Deidara, and I'll be taking over for today," he said a bit nervously. Jade gave him a thumbs up, from her seat behind the desk at the front of the class. "Instead of your usual class, where Jade teaches you all how the basics of sketching, I will be teaching you all how to sculpt. Does anyone have any questions?" He let his blue eyes roam over the classroom. One woman decided to speak up.

"So, this is going to be like pottery?" How dare she confuse my art, with pottery! Katsu!

"No. Sculpting is different from pottery. We will not use a spin table. Any more questions?" When no one else spoke up, he started with the lesson. "In front of you all, should be a few packages of sculpting clay. Before you all start molding, be sure to press out any and all air bubbles. If there are any air pockets in your finished product, it will explode when we place it in the kiln to harden."

"Can you show us an example of one of your sculptures?"

Deidara smirked his boyish smirk. He walked over to the front desk, and picked up a lump of clay. Making sure not to use his hand mouths, he started pressing out all the air bubbles before molding the clay. When he was finished, he held up a very detailed dragon. Jade was proud.

"Remember class. Art... is a bang!" The class started clapping, and immediately got to work.

***

"Excuse me, miss. Do you think you could help me out a bit," a woman had asked her, looking confused.

"Alright. What do you need," Sakura replied, excited to be helping her fist customer of the day.

"You see, my daughter's birthday is coming up, and I was wondering if you could help me pick out an outfit for her."

"I would be happy to help," she smiled. "Do you know what she likes?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking," the woman replied smarmily. "I only have an hour lunch break before i need to get back."

"Of course," Sakura replied, her left eye twitching. She could not be rude to a customer, so with a forced smile like she was instructed to do so as she continued, "How old is your daughter turning? What size does she wear?"

"Well she'll be turning seventeen. I would say she is about the same size as you. The only difference would be that her chest is far more developed than yours."

This old hag! Why I oughta, Inner Sakura made her appearance, shaking her fist in rage at the rude customer.

"If you would come with me this way, I can think of a few things she would like," Sakura said in a sickly sweet voice smiling at the woman. She led her around the store picking up articles of clothing, until she had assembled a complete outfit. She checked out the woman's things and waved off. When the woman was out of sight, Sakura danced around sticking her tongue out.

Unfortunately for the girl, her manager had seen her rude gestures as the woman left, and Sakura received a stern lecture and a warning.

***

"Hello, Gorgeous," a man said walking up to Hinata.

"How can I help you, sir," Hinata replied politely, eager yet nervous to assist her first customer of the day on her own.

"Drop the formalities, and call me *Mitch," he replied with a flirty smile. He leaned over the counter. "Do you think you could help me find a new pair of shoes, Gorgeous?"

"Of course," she once again replied politely. "What style of shoe are you interested in?"

"I'm thinking of trying something different from my usual," Mitch said, with a suggestive wink.

"Please take a seat, and I'll bring you some shoes for you to try on," Hinata said a bit awkwardly, before walking to the back. She took her time picking out different pairs of shoes, then walked back out to the front towards Mitch. "Here try these on."

"Why thank you, Gorgeous." With that he took off his shoes. That was when an awful smell reached Hinata's nose. She looked around everywhere, searching for the source of the smell. She located the source. It was Mitch's feet. He finished trying on his shoes. "I'll take these two."

"Follow me so I can check you out," Hinata said, leading the man to the check-out counter. She picked up something on the way over. She scanned all his items, and told him his total.

"Wait. I didn't put in any flip flops," Mitch said, noticing them for the first time, as Hinata bagged his shoes.

"No, I put those in. They say airing out your feet every once and a while helps get rid of the smell," she replied sweetly. The man paid for his items, and stormed out of the store. When she heard him utter 'bitch' under his breath, she couldn't help the cute smile that pulled at her lips. It would seem that all that time spent with Kiba's sister had corrupted her.

***

Nagato was having a blast exploring all the merchandise. He unleashed his inner pervert. Konan would get angry if she saw him, but his late sensei would be so proud of him. That was what he told himself through all the gag gifts, and giggling like a school girl. Nagato had the whole store to himself, and he loved every minute of it.

"So you did take my job after all," a voice said from behind him. Nagato turned around. He came face to face with the man who had quit, and gave his job to him. He really hoped that man didn't cause any trouble.

"I see you've come back," Nagato stated in a clipped tone.

"WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU, YOU COULD JUST TAKE MY JOB," the man shouted, starting to throw things at him. Nagato dodged everything that was sent his way, making sure to catch everything and set them calmly on the counter, which only served to further enraged the man. The man made a move to attack him, and Nagato side stepped, hitting the man on the temple, causing him totally to the floor unconscious.

"Sir is everything all right," a security guard asked. The man took a moment to case the scene before his eyes landed on the heap of a man on the ground.

"He's only unconscious. He left me no other choice than to defend myself," Nagato explained. Even though the man was no danger to Nagato himself, the man could have endangered one of the other customers or his fellow employee. The security guard woke the man up and pulled him away.

***

Sasuke groaned. Kim had been shooting glares at him all weekend, and part of the morning. The stores they worked at were directly across from each other, and the check-out counters had perfect views of the other. When she would be putting something up on the racks at the front, she would turn and glare. Who knew that older sisters could be so difficult?

He hadn't meant to do it, he was just frustrated. Even in a different dimension, he couldn't escape his fan girls. Now because of them, the girl he thought of as an older sister hated him. Though that was about to change. The night before he had gotten some advice. He had cracked and had gone to Sakura for help. She had told him to be nice, and apologized to her. After a bit of arguing with his former pink haired teammate, he decided that he would apologize, no matter how much it pained him to do so.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, standing behind Kim. She turned around, hiding a smirk.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

"I said 'I'm sorry'," he replied louder. That made her smile, as she engulfed him in a tight hug. He squirmed a bit, trying to escape before he just gave in. He then handed her the pineapple-coconut slush he had gotten her as a peace offering.

"So... who forced you to apologize," Kim questioned, taking a sip.

"Sakura," he said, glaring at nothing.

"You don't like her much do you," she questioned, remembering how the girl liked to be around her younger brother. She thought they would make a cute couple, but if he wasn't interested, there really wasn't much that could be done.

"She's annoying." Kim nodded in understanding.

"You should get back to the store, before you get into trouble," she stated, pushing him away.

It was as she was refolding the shirts on the display table, that a man about a year older than her walked up behind her. When she didn't look his way he picked up a shirt at random, and when that didn't work he cleared his throat.

"Excuse me, but do you think you could help me pick out a gift for my younger sister," he said, folding a shirt. Kim smiled, and took the shirt away, placing it in the middle of the stack.

"You don't have to do that, and I would be happy to help." She looked up at the man. He had tan skin, jet black hair, and sea green eyes. It was like Percy Jackson had walked out of the pages of the book. He was smiling at her, which made her blush, and he smiled wider. Kim then led him around the store, asking him about his sister, all the while trying to keep her heart from jumping out of her chest.

"Okay, I lied," he said rubbing the back of his neck. Kim turned to face him. "I don't have a sister. I just needed an excuse to talk to you. Can we start over?" She nodded, but before she could say a thing he walked away, only to walk right up to her again. "Hi. My name's Jake. What's yours?"

"Hello Jake. I'm Kim," she replied holding back a smile.

"How would you like to go out on a date with me," he asked with a kind smile of his own.

"I would like that. How does Friday night sound?"

"I can't. My brother's always complaining that I don't spend much time with him," he explained.

"How old is your brother?"

"Sixteen, but what does that have-"

"How would your brother feel, if you got him a date with a very pretty girl. I just happen to now a certain sixteen year old girl that's still available."

"Really now. They do say, that the prettiest girls travel in pacts, and if I got him a date with one. Well... he would worship me," he smirked. "Me and my brother will meet you two at Waterlou Park at 6:00. Sorry, but I have to go." Kim smiled wide as she watched him walk away.

***

"All you have to do is clean the animal cages, and give them food and water," the manager explained. He was showing Hana around the store, and explaining what she had to do. "Alright then. Now get to work."

Hana nodded and got straight to work. One at a time, she took the animals out of their cages, cleaned them out, put them back in, and continued on to the others. Then she went around giving them each their respective food. She finished early, and had a few hours to spare before she could go home.

The manager had motioned for her to go over to the chatty woman's station. Hana was wary. The other employees had warned her of the woman's gossiping habits. She didn't need to be told that. She knew from their first encounter, when she was still a cat, of her love to gossip. So, with a groan of displeasure, Hana made her way over.

"Sweetheart," the woman exclaimed, when Hana approached. "How has your first day been so far?"

"It's been good. I really like working with the animals," Hana replied truthfully. The woman smiled kindly. She then turned her head, and stared.

"Hana, do you see that woman over there?" Hana nodded. "Well, she and her husband..." Hana tuned her out. It was such a great day until, the old woman decided to talk her to death. Hopefully someone soon would come in with a dog that needed to be trained.

***

"What do you mean you've never played these games before," the store manager asked in shock. Naruto had just finished telling him, that he had no clue how to play any of the games. "You're a teenager! You're supposed to know these things!"

"Heh. I've never really had much time to play games. I was always busy tra-s-studying to do anything else, 'ttebayo," Naruto replied, internally sighing in relief having caught himself in time. He didn't want to know what would have happened if he had accidentally exposed them all. He shivered at the thought of what Sakura might have done to him.

"Alright. Because I don't want inept employees. I want you familiarize yourself with all the games," the manager stated.

"Really, Mister!" Naruto was excited. He was going to spend his first day on the job, learning to play games. It was turning out to be a good day for Naruto. He walked over to one of the games they had set up to play. "How do you play that," he asked the guy that was standing there.

"It's really simple, see, you just..." The rest of the day continued like that, until he got the hang of it. The day was going good for him, that was until a customer his age came in. The two sixteen year old boys argued about which game they thought was better.

***

Konan was just sitting behind the counter, reading one of the many magazines that the other girl had stashed in one of the drawers. Only a few men and women had gone in to look at the jewelry, and only a handful had actually gotten piercings. They were all simple things like the ears, the lip, and the nose.

"If I buy something I can get the piercing for free..." the man whom was browsing the selections, questioned. He was a thin man with pale skin, dark hair, and lovely emerald green eyes.

"That only applies to the basic ear piercing. Meaning only one piercing per purchased item. The price depends on the type of piercing you want," Konan explained. She had gotten up from her seat, and was showing him the varying prices that were printed on a poster hanging on the wall.

"Okay," the man replied, continuing to look at the displays. When he found the perfect pieces of body jewelry, he went up to Konan.

"Done with your search," she questioned politely. The man nodded and handed Konan the jewelry, which she proceeded to check out. He paid, and she led him to the back room. "What kind of piercings would you like. From your purchases, I can tell you want three.”

"Yes. I want my nipples pierced and a *Prince Albert," the man replied. Konan blanched. His nipples? She did not know what a Prince Albert was. The blue haired female walked over to a desk. She took out a book. Flipping to the right page, she paled even further. If a shinobi was ever captured and had that specific piercing, his captor could pull it out as a form of torture. The same could be said about the nipple piercings.

***

Itachi was going to die. Again. As if dying the first time wasn't enough. Maybe it was karma. He had tortured his younger brother for most of his life, and now he was being tortured by heavily perfumed women. There was a swarm of women around him. They were all asking him for his opinion on which scent he liked the most. Pushing, shoving, and shouting is what they were doing, and Itachi was at the center of it all.

He looked over to the neighboring store. The two stores were connected by an open wall, and separated by a stand. It seemed as though Kakashi was having the same problem as Itachi.

"What do you think about this," a woman asked. She sprayed the body mist right when Itachi turned his head to look at her. He accidentally inhaled most of the mist, and started coughing. He had to try hard to not let his bloodline limit activate. He started to feel dizzy.

"That smells okay," he replied, shaking his head. The women squealed in glee. They had finally gotten his opinion. All the women rushed to pick out lotions and body mists of that particular fragrance.

Kakashi had just turned his head over as Itachi fell, causing the women to gasp in horror. He rushed over to check the oldest Uchiha's vitals. Soon the manager rushed over, and called mall security to take the fallen man to the in-mall infirmary. She shooed off the frantic women, and sent Kakashi back to his station.

Everything had been slow since Itachi had been taken to the infirmary. The manager had to put up a sign saying 'Please Do Not Use Employees as Fragrance Testers.'

Kakashi was getting bored. He was sitting behind the counter playing with the pens. A few giggling teenaged girls had tried to flirt with him. He gave them all bored looks and directed them to the female employee that was there. When all attempts at ending his boredom failed, he pulled out his trusty orange book.

"Excuse me, but would you mind helping me pick out something for my trip?" He was getting excited at having a new customer. Maybe she would want to try on a few of the more daring pieces. He put his book away, and turned around. Behind him was an older lady. He prayed to Kami, that she did not want to try on some of the more daring pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mitch - Every time I hear that name I think 'Mitch the Bitch.' Don't know why, but I just do. I don't mean to offend the Mitch's of the world.
> 
> Prince Albert(PA) - The most common form of male genital piercing, the PA piercing penetrates from the outside of the frenulum (the small tissue fold under the base of the glans) into the urethra, with the jewelry terminating outside the urethral exit of the glans. A reverse Prince Albert enters through the urethra and exits through a hole pierced in the top of the glans.


	11. Meet The 'Family'

The group of twelve made their way back to the loft. Most of them were miserable save for a few. Kim was smiling and skipping. She had had a good day. A cute guy asked her out on a date, and before that her brother apologized to her. Hana would glare at anyone who tried to talk to her. She had been forced to listen to the old hag talking nonstop for hours. Nagato and Naruto were happily chatting, telling each other about how awesome their jobs were.

Itachi was being supported by Sasuke, who was scowling under the weight of his older brother, because he still could not walk straight. In the mind of the younger brother, he kept thinking dead weight, and did not know why he found it so funny. Konan looked severely traumatized. Hinata was walking calmly behind Naruto, happily listening to him talk with his cousin. Sakura was trying to talk to Sasuke, but he scowled at her every time she tried, so she stayed quiet for the entire trip back to the loft. Jade was congratulating Deidara for teaching his first class. He had done an amazing job, and had gotten ten people to sign up for his class. Kakashi was walking behind them all reading his favorite book. He needed something to get the image of the old woman dressed in the daring lingerie out of his mind.

When they arrived, they all paused. There, sitting in the living room area with Ren, were four people that all the ninja were unfamiliar with. Kim was only familiar with the man, having met him a few times. Jade was perfectly familiar with the group of four. They were Jade's father, Logan, and his new wife, Amber, and her eighteen year-old twins, Carter and Abigail.

"Dad! What are you doing here," Jade exclaimed in her best happy voice. She had no idea why he was visiting. He usually called to check up on her, but never visited. Not since he had moved to New York.

The two had never really gotten along. It had gotten even worse when Jade's mother had died three years ago. A few months after her funeral, Logan had started seeing Amber. A few months after that they were married, and it only served to make the already large rift between them even bigger. Logan had went up to Jade one day and told her about his plan to move to New York. Jade of course had refused to go, and asked Ren if he would become her legal guardian. Ren, always having considered Jade as a daughter, agreed which angered Logan to no end.

"What, a man can't come and visit his favorite daughter," Logan said, getting up to engulf Jade in a hug. Jade stiffed when he approached her. When he moved to lift his arms up to hug her she lifted a hand to keep him at a distance. Everyone in the room could feel the nervous energy.

"I'm surprised you still consider me your favorite, much less remember who I am," Jade said in a monotone. It was true. Ever since he had gotten married to that horrible woman he had been neglecting Jade in order to spend more time with Abigail and Carter. Logan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Jade! That is no way to speak to your father," chided Amber. She always tried to act as if she were Jade's mother. Jade didn't know why, Amber mainly wanted Logan for his money, and she got it in the end. Logan was a super successful lawyer. There had yet to be a case he had lost.

"Stop! Just stop," Jade shouted in Amber's face. "You are not my mother. You never will be my mother." With that Jade walked out of the loft.

"I'll go talk to her," Kim said, getting ready to follow after her friend. Logan stopped her, and went in search of his daughter.

"OH YEAH," Naruto shouted, jumping up startling everyone. He had slightly eased the tension that was surrounding them with his cheeriness. "Ren, I got the games you wanted, ‘ttebayo." He went over to hand Ren the bag of video games. Kim just gave her father a look.

Kim and the ninja all took seats around the living room.

Abigail was eyeing Deidara, which was making him shift uncomfortably in his seat. She had seen the way her step-sister seemed to be close to him. That made her want him for herself. Everything she wanted she got, even if she had to take it away from someone.

***

Jade had run out of the loft to the garage. She needed some air, and some time to think. Her father never came to visit. So why would he suddenly start? All the feelings she had tried to block out, came rushing back up to the surface. All the questions she never got to ask kept popping up. The ones that she never got an opportunity to ask him, mainly because Amber was too busy clinging to his arm like a money-sucking leech. Everything crowded her mind until she wanted to scream and pull her hair out, thrash around like a crazy person, or just hit something.

Her and her father had always been distant, even when her mother was still alive. Her mother was a topic she never really liked to discuss; not even with Kim, and she was her best friend. Their mothers were the only things that they never talked about with each other. Jade just assumed that Kim’s mother had died, and that was why she was not around.

She never really understood what her mother saw in her father. Logan was calm and always so serious all the time. Her mother had a temper and was so loud. Her mother once told her that opposites attack, but she could not see it. Her father was always away on business or had to work late on a case and left them at home alone most of the time. The one major thing she inherited from her mother was her looks, and for that she was beyond thankful. If she had to see her father's every time she looked in the mirror... Why did she have to leave her?

Why did he have to come? Why did he have to bring them with him, the hazel eyed girl thought tiredly. Jade groaned in frustration, roughly wiping away the tears that managed to slip past her defenses.

"Jade," Logan called out, walking through the door. He had found her sitting on a bench. "What do you think you were doing back there? Are you trying to make us look bad in front of your friends?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jade replied in a dull tone, leaning back on her hands to look her father in the eyes.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about!"

"Then answer me this. Why did you bring them with you? The first time you come to visit in years, years, and you bring them," she hissed.

"I brought them with me, because we're a family," he stated.

"No, we're not," Jade said firmly, her grip on the edge of the bench tightening. "They are not my family. She is not my mother, nor will she ever be. She's only your gold-digging whore." She was glaring now. Logan slapped her hard across the face leaving her cheek a stinging red. He was fuming.

"Tomorrow, you will be showing your brother and sister around town. You will take them to the mall, to the park, to see a movie. I don't care, but you will spend the week with them. Then we will all, your new friends included, go out to dinner on Saturday night. You will behave, and treat us with the utmost respect. Do I make myself clear," Logan questioned in a stern tone of voice. Jade just crossed her arms, and nodded her head.

Logan walked up the stairs. He called his wife and his children down. Then they walked to their car, and left. Jade stayed staring off in the direction that they left.

"Oh! I'm gonna need to get my nails fixed," she said with a laugh. She wanted to cry. She really did, but she wouldn't allow herself to. Not over him. Not anymore. She stood up straight, smoothed out her skirt, and walked back up to the loft. Coming to a stop in front of the door, she took a deep calming breath.

When she walked in, she had to hold back a laugh. Ren had pulled out his Wii, and he along with Naruto were attempting to teach the others how to play. It was a sight to see. Kim and Sakura were standing behind the couch facing the TV, and were commentating using the TV remotes as their microphones.

Kim turned around, and stretched out her hand wiggling her fingers out at the hazel eyed girl. Jade grabbed her best friend’s hand, intertwining their fingers, Kim squeezed tight and she did the same. She would get through the week that was sure to be tough. She had Kim, who was like a sister to her. She had Ren, who she looked up to as a father figure. Now, she even had the ten ninja from a different dimension. They were her large and crazy as hell family. She would get through it all.

***

The next day, everyone took their lunch breaks at the same time. They were all sitting around a table in the food court, talking about the things that had happened at work. Abigail and Carter were there with them as well. They had been making Jade's life miserable. Abigail had been constantly interrupting her during her classes, and Carter kept on flirting with Sakura. Which was making Sasuke angry for some unknown reason though he did not show it.

"So why don't we go out on a date," Carter had asked Sakura, sending her a flirtatious smile. The pinkette had a look of utter disgust on her face. She would very much rather go on a date with Rock Lee, at least he wasn't a scumbag. Kim smacked her hand on the table, drawing all the attention to herself.

"She can't. She already has a boyfriend," Kim stated with a triumphant girn.

Sasuke choked on his drink. Naruto and Itachi both hit him hard on the back, making him cough up soda. They all turned to stare at Sakura.

"I do," Sakura asked confused. Since when did she have a boyfriend that she did not know about.

"Well... Not yet you don't, but you will soon," Kim said with a smile. "I completely forgot to tell you yesterday. I got asked out yesterday, and he has a brother. So... since he was supposed to spend Friday night with him, I told him I had a hot friend the same age. I'm so sorry for not telling you sooner."

"No, it's okay. But..." She trailed off. They were all waiting for what she had to say.

"Don't worry. He's really cute. Jake, my date, showed me a picture of him," Kim reassured with a smirk. "Oh, and his name is Alex." The girls all started asking questions. The guys just groaned.

Abigail didn't care that Kim got asked out. She never really liked her, or Jade in the first place. She most certainly didn't like any of Jade's friends. Although, she did take a liking to a certain blond artist. She had knew how he and her 'sister' seemed to spend a lot of time together, and thought why not mess with her favorite 'sister' and take something away from her. She always did love the chase.

Abigail and Carter couldn't wait for dinner on Saturday night. Logan had an announcement to make, and they couldn't wait to see Jade's reaction. That was going to be a night to remember.

When the lunch break hour was over they all returned back to their respective jobs. Carter and Abigail went with Jade and Deidara. Carter was making rude comments here and there, and Abigail was clinging onto Deidara's arm, much to his dismay and ultimate frustration.


	12. Heartbroken + Lovestruck

It was Friday morning, one more day before Saturday's 'family' dinner. Thanks to Abigail and Carter, the ninja had been introduced to cell phones. Needless to say they all wanted one, and Ren, Kim, and Jade had to teach them how to work them. Soon the ninja were sending texts, making calls, and surfing the Internet(Ren got the luxury of explaining that one) like pros.

The morning was slow, and the group of twelve were all at work, and all bored out of their minds.

Conference text:

'I'm so bored. - Konan'

'I'm not. I'm reading a magazine called Playboy. - Nagato'

'Why are you looking at naked women? - Jade'

'Nagato! - Konan'

'They're not completely naked. - Nagato'

'We're surrounded by perverts. - Sakura'

'Who else is a pervert? - Konan'

'Kakashi-sensei and Naruto. - Sakura'

'I know Kakashi reads porn, but Naruto? - Hana'

'I'm not a pervert! - Naruto'

'It's not porn. - Kakashi'

'He has this Sexy Jutsu. - Sakura'

'What's that? - Itachi'

'You don't want to know. - Sasuke'

'You'll love it! - Kakashi'

'Kakashi, stop trying to turn my brother into a pervert. - Sasuke'

'Can't turn what already is. - Deidara'

'Itachi? - Sasuke'

'No comment. - Itachi'

'Told you! - Deidara'

'Shouldn't we be getting back to work? - Hinata'

'Add Kim to the list. - Jade'

'What list? - Nagato'

'The perverted persons list. - Jade'

'How is Kim a pervert? - Hana'

'You know what they say. It's always the quiet ones. - Jade'

'I'm not a pervert! - Kim'

'Yet another side of Kim. - Kakashi'

'Screw you! - Kim'

'Wow! - Konan'

'Not like that! - Kim'

'I rest my case. - Jade'

'If the quiet ones are closet perverts, wouldn't that mean Hinata and Konan are ones too? - Naruto'

...

'Get back to work! - Ren'

'Who invited the old man? - Jade'

'I'm 36! - Ren'

They all put away their phones, and got back to work. Jade had a plan to make her two friends look perfect for their dates that night. She sent the other girls a text, making sure to leave out Sakura and Kim, and let them in on her plan. They planned out what needed to be done.

When they all got back to the loft, the girls dragged Kim and Sakura off to Kim's room. They told them the game plan, before making them go shower. While they waited for Kim and Sakura to finish showering and shaving, they set up everything in the room.

Once the two girls were finished, the others made them sit down on the bed. Konan applied some type of facial mask. Hana and Hinata gave them manicures and pedicures. Sakura got red, and Kim got blue nail polish. When that was over, they moved on to their hair and make-up. They went with the natural look for the make-up, and only highlighted their features. They straightened Kim's hair, and gave Sakura soft curls. Sakura wore a red knee length dress, a brown braided belt around her waist, and matching brown sandals. Kim wore a pair of flowy dark blue shorts, that looked like a skirt, a white blouse tucked in, a black blazer, and a pair of black pointed toe heels.

The guys had to admit that the two girls looked great. Ren was all smiles when he saw his daughter, all dolled up, but he couldn't help but notice the way she shifted uncomfortably. Sasuke was a different story. Ever since Sakura found out about her date she had dropped the affectionate '-kun' suffix from his name. He didn't know why that made him feel odd, but it did.

Everyone complimented the girls on how they looked. They also poked fun at the way Kim was constantly tripping in her heels. Before Kim and Sakura knew it, Jade was giving them a ride to the park, where they would meet their dates. They were both going to get rides back to the loft from their dates. Sakura and Kim walked over to a nearby bench, and sat down.

"Trade shoes with me," Kim said to Sakura.

"No, 'cause my shoes won't match your outfit," Sakura stated.

"But they're killing me. My feet are going to have horrible blisters. How can Jade even walk in these things," the ebony haired girl complained. Though there was nothing wrong with the shoes, her nerves were starting to get the better of her.

"Tough," the pink haired girl said. Kim gave her a glare, to which Sakura just smiled. The two girls stood up, and walked over to the water fountain. Kim and Jake had agreed to meet there.

Soon two figures approached the girls, one a few inches taller than the other. The taller figure had sea green eyes, tan skin, and jet black hair. Jake. He wore a pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt. The slightly shorter figure had the same sea green eyes, tan skin, and dirty blond hair. Alex. He too, wore jeans and a black button-up shirt with a gray tie.

Kim quickly walked over to Jake and gave him a hug. The couple walked off, leaving the other two alone. Sakura stood a bit awkwardly. She had no clue as to what she was supposed to say. Alex smiled at her obvious nervousness.

"My brother wasn't lying when he said, he had gotten me a date with a beautiful girl," Alex mused. Sakura blushed a pretty pink, playing with the hem of her dress.

"Thank you." She blushed even deeper when he directed his smile towards her.

"Nervous?"

"Just a little. I've never really been on a date before," she admitted.

"How could someone like you, never be asked out on a date?"

"Oh, I've been asked out a couple times before. It's just that..." She trailed off, thinking about a certain dark haired someone.

"You had your eyes set on someone else," he guessed. She nodded the affirmative.

"I thought it was time I finally get over him. He will never feel the same way about me, as I feel for him. I don't even think he's capable of feeling anything," she stated sadly, looking down at her feet. A tear was about to fall. Alex cupped the side of her cheek, lifting her head up and wiping the lone tear away with his thumb.

"Well, it's his loss. He must be blind to let someone as beautiful as you get away," he said smiling. "I was originally thinking about going to dinner and a movie, but you look like you could use some cheering up. No one can feel sad or lonely when they go to the carnival, and there just so happens to be one close by. What do you say?"

"I would like that. Lead the way!" He grabbed her hand, and the two ran in the direction of the carnival. They ran up to the ticket booth, and Alex paid for two bracelets. Once they got them on the two walked around for a bit. They took in the sights, and the smiling people. Then they stopped in front of a ride.

"Please tell me you're not afraid of heights and being upside down," Alex begged. He had his eyes shut tight. Slowly opening one eye, he saw his date smiling widely. She shook her head no. He jumped up and gave a shout, scaring some little kids in the process. Grabbing her hand again, he led her to the line for the ride. They showed their wrists with the bracelets to the conductor, and he let them on.

Taking their seats, and strapping themselves in; they waited for the ride to start. The ride started out slowly. Rocking back and forth, picking up speed as it went. It stopped midway, before continuing. Soon they were going upside down, and back down again. When the ride ended, Alex was ready to throw up.

"Are you sure you're okay," Sakura questioned, concern coating her voice. He nodded. He stopped mid nod, and with a hand over his mouth, ran to the nearest trash can. Sakura walked over to a food stand and bought a bottle of water, and handed it over to him.

"How about a hug and a kiss," he asked, grinning madly.

"Uh... I'll take the hug, but you can keep the kiss," she replied. She giggled when he started pouting. She patted him on the head. "How about we go play some games."

"Sounds like fun!" He grabbed her hand again, and led her to the games. They stopped at one of those 'test your strength' games. "Let's test our strength," he said excitedly, taking the hammer from the man. He swung the hammer over his head, and brought it down; hitting the metal plate. The marker only went up halfway. The game man gave him a little stuffed puppy, which he gave to Sakura.

"Would the lady like to try," the game man asked, offering her the hammer. Alex pushed her forward, nudging her to try. She followed the same motions as Alex. That time the marker went all the way up to the bell. The audience all around them started clapping, and she received a giant stuffed turtle as her prize.

"Wow! That was amazing," Alex shouted, beaming at Sakura. She blushed in response. They started walking around again. They passed a crying little girl. She was scared, and couldn't find her mother. Sakura gave the little girl the giant turtle, when they had found her mother. The little girl gave Sakura a tight hug and a bright smile, before skipping towards her mother.

The pair got on all the rides. Played all the games they could, before running out of money. They were laughing and smiling. Just having a great time. When the sun started setting, they got on the Ferris wheel. The ride had stopped for the fireworks display.

Alex slowly leaned in to kiss her. Sakura got lost in his eyes, and started to lean in as well. Then she turned her head to the side at the last second, making him kiss her cheek instead of her lips. He sighed.

"I'm sorry. It-" He cut her off.

"No. Don't apologize. I get it. You still have feelings for that other guy." He ran a hand through his hair. He looked her in the eyes. "I'm not going to push you into doing something you don't want to do, but... I will wait for you. Maybe in time you will feel the same way as you do for him, for me. When that time comes I will be right here waiting. 'Cause you're worth it," he said. He gently tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, and placed a kiss on her forehead. She smiled. Maybe he was just what she needed to finally move on, and get over him.

***

"So do you think they're going to be okay," Kim questioned Jake, looking back at Sakura and Alex's retreating forms. She was worried that they wouldn't like each other, and Sakura would end up hating her for it. She wasn't the type of girl to set her friends up on dates. Heck, she wasn't the type of girl to go out on dates. That was all Jade, bright and outgoing. She was Kim, dark and twisty.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Jake replied, casually draping an arm around his date's shoulders. He knew his brother would be alright. He looked over at Kim. "So, I was thinking about going to dinner, and then a movie. What do you think?"

"That sounds great," was her reply. She was trying so hard not to fall over, because of her shoes. The date had not even begun, and her feet were already killing her, which was strange since those were her go-to pair of shoes for special events. At least when they got to the restaurant; she would be able to sit down and relax. No! My feet are fine. I've worn these shoes for longer periods of time and they never hurt before. No more making excuses to try and leave. I will go on this date, and I will have a good time.

After a bit of walking, they reached their desired destination. He took her to a fancy Italian restaurant. After a twenty minute wait, they were led to their table, and seated. The waiter came to take their drink orders, and left them with their menus.

"Are you alright? You seem a bit distracted," Kim voiced her thoughts. The entire walk to the restaurant and up till that moment, she had noticed Jake's eyes darting around like he couldn't concentrate. Maybe he was just as nervous as she was.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," he replied waving off her concern with a smile. Though she could see that it was nothing. He had been acting strange since the beginning. The waiter returned with their drinks.

"What would you like to order," the waiter, a young man not much older than herself, asked politely.

"I'll have the Linguine with clam sauce," Jake said with a nod, handing his menu over to the waiter. The waiter looked over to Kim.

"I'll have... the pasta with the creamy tomato sauce." Jake stared at her. "What," she questioned.

"Nothing." He shrugged. Sea green eyes roamed up and down her body. "I just thought that you would watch what you eat, is all. Pasta does have a lot of calories. Especially one with a cream sauce." Kim was shocked, and apparently so was their waiter since he wore a dark glare directed towards her date.

"Uh... I take back my order," Kim said her voice sounding pathetic even to her own ears. She picked up the menu and throughly read through all the options, much more aware than before. "I'll have the garden salad instead. No croutons." White bread is fattening.

"Would you like to add grilled or breaded chicken to that?" The young waiter could only stay silent as he watched the girl wilt right before his eyes. It wasn't his place to get involved.

"No thank you," she replied quietly, handing the waiter her menu. The waiter nodded his head, and walked off. Kim shifted in her seat, uncomfortably. Running a marathon in Jade's signature six-nice heels would probably be more comfortable than sitting there. She started playing with a lock of her hair. It was starting to curl; her hair never did stay straight for too long.

The rest of dinner passed in awkward silence. Jake was distracted the entire time, his eyes searching the room and stopping to stare at the entrance while Kim was trying to look anywhere but at him. Her mind was racing. Should she consider watching what she ate? She always did eat whatever she wanted, and she ate whole lot more than other girls. Did she need to go on a diet? Maybe she could start by cutting out over-processed snack foods and drinks. Exercise more? She could always start running again; she liked running. She was never skinny or thin to begin with, but she couldn't be considered chubby either. Could I be? Hidden by the table cloth, her right hand rested against her lower abdomen.

When dinner was over and the plates had been cleared, Jake suggested that they join in with the other dancing couples. On the dance floor Kim was a hot mess. She could barely walk with her shaking legs, much less dance in her heels. It didn't really matter though. Jake still was not paying any attention to her. He was too busy staring over her shoulder. She wondered what was keeping him so distracted. Soon all the dancing came to an end after Kim had stepped on him many, many times. Jake hurriedly paid the bill, and they exited the restaurant. As they were heading to the movie theater across the street from the park, they were intercepted by someone.

She finally figured out what, or rather who, Jake's attention had been on all night.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, going out on a date with a fat whore like her," screeched the tall redhead. Kim felt her jaw clench at the insult, and a pang of hurt settled in her stomach. "I'm your girlfriend..."

Kim walked away, never the type for confrontation. She went as fast as her heeled feet would let her on unsteady legs. How could the night she had been anticipating the entire week, end so horribly? He never even liked her. He was just using her. Using her to make his, gorgeous, girlfriend jealous. How could she be so stupid to think that a guy like that would ever be interested in her? Her! Dark and twisty Kimberly.

She continued to aimlessly walk around the park, willing herself not to cry. She couldn't let that jerk ruin everyones hard work. For the first time in a long time she had felt pretty. Too bad the feeling didn't last long.

It was already dark out, and the only sources of light were from the moon and lamp posts illuminating the park. Walking towards the water fountain located in the center of the garden maze, she sat down on the edge. Tapping the water lightly with her fingers, she lost herself in thought. She stilled when she saw the distorted reflection of someone behind her in the water.

"I'm sorry about your date," the figure stated, in a familiar lazy drawl.

"Don't be. It's not like it’s your fault it ended the way it did," she responded flashing Kakashi a small smile.

"He shouldn't have led you on like that." She was now facing him, his white hair glowing in the moonlight. He offered her a sympathetic eye smile.

"It doesn't matter anyway. Compared to what he already has, I'm nothing special," she said through a shaky breath. Her eyes began to water and she had to fight to keep the tears from spilling over.

"You shouldn't speak so lowly of yourself," Kakashi reprimanded, taking a seat beside the girl.

"I guess you’re right."

Kim gave a humorless laugh that turned near hysterical, then faded into heartbroken sobs. Kakashi hesitantly wrapped an arm around her waist and slowly pulled her closer, wrapping her other arm around her as well. Soon her head rested against his shoulder as her violent sobs caused her body to shudder against his chest. Resting his chin on her head, he let her her sobs continue until they faded into hiccups and then silent weeping. When her tears finally stopped and her small frame sagged against him, he continued to hold her. Throughout it all he felt an intense hatred for the man named Jake begin to fester within.

"Promise me that you won't tell anyone what happened tonight," she whispered softly against his neck. "I can just say we didn't hit it off, or something like that."

"You seem to be really good at lying and keeping secrets," he noted. She gave him a look. "Alright, I promise not to tell. But if you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen." Kim gave him a small broken smile that seemed to cause him pain rather than reassure him like it was meant to.

"How did you get here?"

"I walked."

"Looks like I'm walking home in heels. I just want to change out of this outfit, go to sleep, and forget about this this night," Kim groaned as she stood up. Kakashi smirked at her, then turned his back to her and kneeled down.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you," he commanded.

"I might be heavy," she warned as she did as told, though very slowly.

"You're really tiny and I'm a big strong ninja," he tried to reassure the girl which earned him a snort of amusement.

Once she was on, Kakashi stood up straight and began walking back to the loft. She fell asleep halfway back to the loft. Kakashi couldn't help but wonder if she really was alright. How did she manage to get so good at lying and secret keeping? In the world of shinobi, practice makes perfect.


	13. Dinner Disaster

Finally Saturday, the day everyone had been waiting for, had come. Well, not exactly. Jade wanted to get the upcoming 'family' dinner over and done with. She could not wait to be rid of her father, his whore, and the annoying twins from hell.

The twins had been spending the majority of their time tormenting Jade and the others. Abigail had taken an immediate liking to Deidara. Every chance she got, she would cling onto his arm, and whisper seductively into his ear. She was constantly sending him flirty smiles, and giving him soft inappropriate touches. Though she never received her desired reactions from the blonde, she kept on trying. It took everything the blond man had to not rip the Abigail's arm off every time he felt her hand slide slowly up his thigh; it was at that time that he and Itachi seemed to come together in a silent agreement. Whenever the Uchiha saw that the girl was going to make a move he would warn the blond and help him make an escape.

Carter was his usual self, with his goofy playboy attitude and constantly flashing his charming smile. Sadly, had none of the girls been friends with Jade and had met him by chance, he could have swept any one of them off their feet. That morning he was once again flirting with Sakura. Luckily for her, Alex was stopping by for a visit at work, and while she couldn't do anything against Carter, it didn't mean Alex couldn't. After being stared down by Sakura's boyfriend, he decided she wasn't worth it and moved on to the other girls. After that, he made his way to Kim's work place. He wasn't even able to get a word in before he was being dragged away by an all too eager Sasuke.

After a long morning that seemed to drag on, the ragtag group made it back to the loft where they lazed around in the living room, each doing their own thing trying to make time pass faster. Sasuke and Naruto pushed the ottomans in front of the TV to play video games. Hinata and Sakura were seated at th coffee table doing some research about the new world they found themselves in on Jade's laptop. Hana, Itachi, and Deidara sat in a circle on the floor playing slapjack with Itachi winning and Deidara sporting a bright red hand. Konan and Nagato sat huddled together on the sofa utilizing Kim's laptop. Kim sat on the new sofa that was added to the living room reading a mystery novel with Kakashi sitting beside her reading a book of his own.

Jade was experiencing what she believed to be a mild panic attack. She didn't want to spend her evening with her 'family.' In an attempt to calm her nerves, she tried to keep her mind off the dinner that was sure to end in disaster. Standing at the entrance to her closet, she took a deep breath before rifling through its contents. Before she even realized it she had a complete outfit laid out on her bed. Needing to keep busy, she made her way into the others' rooms and did the same for them.

All too soon it was time to head to the restaurant. They all squeezed in to Ren's truck and Jade's car. Some of them had to sit on others laps to make enough room for the rest. Almost everyone argued the whole twenty-something minute ride to the restaurant they were supposed to meet Jade's family at.

They parked in an underground parking garage, opting to walk the rest of the way. Arriving at their destination, the others waited on Jade and Kim to catch up. Jade had been having bad feelings ever since she woke up that morning. She could just feel it in the air, or maybe it was just in her head.

"You okay," Kim asked, extending her hand toward the blonde.

"I'll be fine," Jade assured her friend after taking a deep breath to calm herself. She straightened out her dress one last time, squared her shoulder, and grabbed Kim's hand. The two girls regrouped with the others that were waiting outside the French restaurant, they walked inside.

"We had a reservation under Rose," Ren informed the hostess. The hostess looked to the computer screen in front of her, grabbed thirteen menus, and handed them to a waitress, who led them to their table, which was located in a privet room. Once seated, she took their drink orders, and left.

"Okay guys. Make sure to order the most expensive things on the menu. Get dessert if you want to. My father's paying, so make sure we put a nice big dent in his bank account," Jade ordered, eyes furiously scanning the menu.

"Don't you think you’re going a bit overboard," Kim asked, eyeing her friend warily.

"Daughter, it's free food. Since when have you ever complained," Ren spoke out, brows crinkling as he read the menu.

Kim remained silent, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat. She slowly read through the items on the menu, mentally deconstructing end dish. Appetizers? Foie gras?Grilled leeks and stewed garlic on toast? Chèvre with herbs, olive oil, and lemon zest? Entrees? Soupe à l'oignon? Beef bourguignon? Ratatouille? No dessert.

Once Jade had finished explaining everything to the ninja, they ordered their appetizers and entrees. Naruto had somehow coaxed Sasuke in to an esacargot eating contest. Everyone watched on with expressions of fascinated disgust. Some even going so far as to encourage them; Deidara and Nagato. At some point, the boys' drinks disappeared from the table which resulted in the two choking with nothing to was the food down. Sakura soon got fed up with their antics and got after them, calling them morons as she hit them on the backs a few times. When she got them both to stop choking, she turned her wrath on the others, calling them idiots for encouraging such behavior.

Jade was having such a good time, that she forgot the reason they were all gathered together in some expansive French restaurant. That was when 'they' walked into the room. Abigail took the open seat that was on the other side of Deidara. The blond inwardly groaned, a scowl marring his boyish features. Carter sat next to his twin, Amber was next to him, and Logan sat in between his wife and Ren.

The waitress came back to take their orders. Everyone was silent as they waited for their food to come. Mostly everyone. Abigail and Carter were too busy being flirts to really notice anything. The rest of dinner continued in the same awkward fashion. Once the plates were cleared from the table, Logan encouraged everyone to order desert, even ordering wine for those old enough to drink. He was doing everything that he could to make what he had to say that much easier.

"Jade, I have something important to tell you," Logan's voice broke through the conversation. Those who still were eating or talking stopped feeling the tense atmosphere. Even Naruto, who had been loud all throughout dinner, was silent. That same feeling of dread once again washed over Jade. She griped Kim's hand under the table nervously. "Abigail and Carter are your brother and sister."

"You keep saying that, but just because you adopt them... it wont make that true. They are not my family," Jade growled with narrowed, her fingernails imbedding themselves into the palm of her best friend. She took a deep shuddering breath.

Logan fixated a glare on his daughter. "What I meant to say is, they are your half-brother and sister. They are my children. I am their birth father."

Jade stayed silent as she struggled to process the new information. She began to calculate the difference in age between her and the twins, among other things. It didn't make sense. She kept coming to the same conclusion every time, but she couldn't accept... that! It was like her mind stopped working in that moment. When she finally got all her thoughts in order, she exploded.

"They're a year older than me! You married mom three years before I was born! You mean to tell me, that you were cheating on her the entire time? While she was sick? While she was dying and confined to that hospital bed, you were out with her," Jade shouted, jabbing a finger in Amber's direction. "Did you even love her?"

"Of course I loved her. She was my wife," Logan said outraged, springing to his feet.

"Apparently you didn't love her enough to stay faithful. You have those two bastard children to prove it," Jade cried. Logan snapped. He was about to hit her when Ren decided that it was time he intervened. Ren had him pressed up against the wall with one hand resting between the older man's shoulder blades and his other hand pinning the man's right arm against his back in a way that threatened a dislocated shoulder.

"Let go of my husband," Amber shouted, her voice reaching a glass breaking pitch. She was about to swing her purse at Ren, when Kim stopped her.

"Don't touch my dad," she threatened as she moved to stand before her father. Her hardened eyes narrowed at the woman in a way that sent chills down her spine until she backed down, which wasn't very long. Itachi and Sasuke felt a combination of pride and terror at the sight of their newly dubbed sister's death glare.

Jade was in shock. She could only watch the scene unfolding right before her eyes. Logan had broken free from Ren's hold, and took his frustrations out on the man. Ren, never one to just sit back and take a beating, fought back. Kakashi and Itachi tried to get the two men to stop, but in the end their attempts proved fruitless.

The two men fell through the screen wall, that separated them from the other guests in the restaurant. A few panicked people called the police, while most of the teenagers took out their phones to record the fight.

Carter and Abigail stood there smirking at Jade. That pissed off Kim. So she reached back at random and picked up Naruto's chocolate eclair, that he was still eating, and took aim at the smirking twins. She might be clumsy, but no one had ever accused her of having bad aim. It was Jade's turn to smirk.

"I guess revenge really is sweet," Kim stated, licking chocolate cream filling off her fingers, eyes widening as the rich flavor her her tastebuds. Though she didn't have much time to think before a piece of some kind of sticky cake was aimed at her. Soon everyone was engaged in a food fight. Jade couldn't help but think about what great friends she had.

When the cops arrived, the restaurant was in complete chaos. More fights had broken out, and almost everyone had joined in on the food fight. The entire place was a mess. The officers demanded order.

Once the authorities had everything under control, Logan was quick to place the blame on Ren. He claimed that the man had jumped over the table and attacked him, and he had no choice other than to defend himself. When Ren tried to explain what really happened they did not believe him, because of his past criminal record. Everyone was beyond outraged as they were forced to watch one of the officers place Ren under arrest. Their anger only grew, when Logan told Jade that she had no choice but to go with him back to New York. She refused to go, saying that she would rather stay and have nothing to do with him.

After everything had finally calmed down, they left. As soon as they arrived back at the loft, they all took turns using the showers. All were silent as they sat in the living room area, wondering how everything had gotten so out of hand.

"Kim I'm so we sorry about your dad getting arrested because of me," Jade apologized. She had been feeling guilty ever since they officer had placed Ren in handcuffs.

"What are you talking about," Kim asked, head tilted slightly to one side. "Jade, my dad thinks of you as a daughter. He would do anything to protect you. Besides my dad never liked Logan in the first place. Getting to kick his ass, was like a dream come true for him." Kim smiled reassuringly.

"You and your dad are beyond awesome," Jade exclaimed a bright smile on her face. She wrapped the other girl in a tight embrace. "But it still hurts to find out about my father cheating on my mother. To think, all this time he's had another family on the side. Well I hope he's happy. Though I can't say I'm going to miss him." While she wouldn't miss the man, it still hurt. He was her father after all.

"We'll be your family from now on, 'ttebayo," Naruto exclaimed brightly. The others nodded in agreement. Jade beamed.

"Enough of the heavy. I love how Kim got a perfect shot on that slut, un!" Deidara was now standing. "The way that piece of cake landed right on her face!"

Naruto sulked over the loss of his chocolate eclair.

"You seemed to be having fun rubbing pie into her hair. From what it looked like, it was a deep lather," Jade joked. Deidara just grinned at his work being praised by his follow artist.

"What's going to happen to Ren," asked Hana. Despite trying to avoid the topic of heavy subjects, they couldn't not worry about the man who had graciously taken them in.

"He should be calling soon." Kim pursed her lips in thought. "If not tonight, then tomorrow morning."

"It seems like this has happened before," Nagato came to the conclusion. Kim and Jade could only smile sheepishly.

Kim's cell phone rang. It was Ren. After a short one-sided conversation, she hung up.

"What happened," Itachi asked.

"Well, he going to be in jail for about four days. The good thing is, no one decided to press charges." She took something out of her pocket, and started messing with her phone. "He said not to destroy the house, and I'm going to have to work at the shop in the meantime. Joy."

"Who are you calling," Sakura asked Kim, when she put her cell phone to her ear.

"No one. I'm just checking something." She hung up the phone. "So, Jade do you feel like going on a shopping spree tomorrow?"

"With what money? I'm poor, remember?"

"Why, your dads of course," Kim stated holding up a credit card. They all stared at her.

"Wha... When did you... How did you," Jade was stunned. Though in the ebony haired girl's opinion, Jade was doing an amazing impersonation of a goldfish.

"I took it out of his pocket before he left. This is his company credit card, it's unlimited. An unlimited amount of money to go shopping. Well, before he finds out and closes the account or someone in accounting. It's one-hundred percent legal too. You're his daughter, and under eighteen. So by law he has to support you." She waved the card in Jade's face temptingly. "What do you say?"

"I say, hell yeah," Jade exclaimed jumping up and down. "Are you guys in," she asked all the others. At the idea of making Logan pay, pun intended, for all the pain he caused Jade, they agreed.

"We should go without using our employee discounts, and pay full price," Hinata suggested. Everyone looked at her in shock. Who knew, that the Hyuuga heiress could be so devious. They stared at her with their mouths gaping, causing her to turn a lovely shade of red.

"Tomorrow we shop, dattebayo," Naruto exclaimed standing up, a fist in the air.

"Dobe," Sasuke muttered.

"What did you call me Teme!"

"Dobe."

"Teme."

"Dobe!"

Teme!"

"DOBE!"

"TEME!"

"Shut up you two! Or I'm going to feed you to a pack of wolves," Hana shouted in annoyance. Naruto and Sasuke sat down on their knee, backs straight with their hands placed on their laps. Everyone was shocked at her outburst. Once the shock passed, and everyone calmed down; she groaned. "Oh Kami-sama, I'm turning into my mother!" Itachi patted her on the back.


	14. Name Calling and Matchmaking

"Move out people! We have a lot of ground to cover," Jade shouted like a commander of war to the group of twelve who were standing in the center of the mall.

"Don't forget not to use your discounts," Hinata added helpfully. Having said that, they all separated into their own little groups. Jade, Deidara, and Hana were one group. Nagato and Konan were the second. Naruto, Sakura, and Hinata were the third. Itachi, Kim, and Sasuke were the fourth, and Kakashi went on his own.

"So..." Kim trailed off. She was walking in between Itachi and Sasuke. The two brothers looked at her expectantly. "Weasel-nii, are you interested in someone?"

"What did you call me?" Itachi wore a look of bewilderment. The comment had thrown him off so badly, he nearly tripped over his own feet.

"Weasel-nii," she repeated, a cheeky grin taking over her face. Sasuke was trying to hold back a laugh, and it came out as small smile. "But you're missing the point. I asked if there was someone you were interested in. Someone with long brown hair, dark eyes, a kind smile, and has a love for helping animals. Particularly dogs."

"Is this your weird way of asking me if I’m interested in Hana," he asked, giving her a strained smile.

"I never said anything about Hana," she said innocently. "But if you like her, then by all means make a move already."

"Are you trying to play matchmaker? First it was with Sakura and Alex," Sasuke clenched his fists, "now you're trying to do the same to me," he questioned with a raised eyebrow. Sasuke's actions didn't go unnoticed by his siblings.

"You okay," Kim asked worriedly. She got no reply. After a bit of thinking she spoke up again. "You like Sakura?" Itachi and Kim looked at him, waiting for his answer.

"No and she's annoying," he finally said. He continued walking with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

"Annoying as in she's a bother to you, or annoying as in she’s constantly on your mind," Itachi asked with a smirk. The other two just stared at him, eyes wide. "What? Okay, unlike Sasuke I'm not emotionally constipated. I have had a girlfriend before. Not to mention the whole arranged marriage." At his sister's wide eyes he waved her off, signaling for another time.

"I'm not emotionally constipated," Sasuke said with a frown.

"Emotional constipation isn't something you can cure with apple juice. The thing that we want to know is, do you like her or not? You say no, but do you really mean it?" Kim and Itachi kept staring at him, waiting for his answer yet again.

"She's annoying, an ex-fangirl, a cry baby, and weak. Why would I like her?" He stared at his older siblings, challenging them to prove him wrong. They walked into a furniture store, and sat on some plush couches.

"She's not weak. That I'm sure of. If she can take on Sasori, a member of the Akatsuki, and win, with little to no help, then she must be strong. I also heard that she was able to create an antidote to a special type of poison he used. She's also the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage, Tsunade-sama. She's trained in medical Ninjutsu, and inherited Tsunade's monster strength. There are rumors that she will surpass her, if she hasn't already," Itachi finished.

Sasuke was surprised. He never knew that Sakura had grown so much since he'd last seen her. She grew out of her old ways, and was no longer the useless cry baby he remembered her to be. Instead, in her place was someone different, stronger. He realized that he really didn't know as much of the pink haired girl, as he thought he did. Sasuke was snapped out of his ponderings when he heard Kim start speaking.

"From what I've seen, she's not annoying. Sure she wants to be around you, and have your attention, but that’s what you do when you have a crush. When you like someone, you want to be around them all the time, to have their eyes on you, to impress them, and so much more. It makes you crazy.... makes you do or say things that you never thought you would. Though it does hurt to have your heart broken, and be rejected by that person. Heartache hurts the same, no matter the age," she told him.

"The night I left she told me she loved me. She also told me that getting revenge would bring happiness to no one. I guess she was right about that. Considering that when I found out the truth about everything, it just made me realize I'd been living a lie. I had destroyed the one person who had cared about me the most. Everything that I thought I knew had been a lie. When I found out the truth, I was confused. I wanted to make them all pay for the pain that they put you through, nii-san.” He slowly drew in a shaky breath. “But now we're here. You're alive. Before everything, I was always afraid to open up to people. I was afraid that if I got too close to anyone, that you or someone else would come and take them all away... again. And now... I just don't know anymore," Sasuke said putting his head in his hands.

"I'm sorry," Itachi said, moving to sit beside Sasuke. "I only did what I did to protect you, and make you stronger. I told you to hate me, so that you could turn that hate into strength-"

"You sound like a hypocrite," Kim said, cutting him off. The two Uchiha men stared at her, shocked at her accusation. "Itachi, I highly doubt that you turned your hate into strength. Hate can only get you so far, before you lose yourself to the darkness. That's not a way to live, if it could even be considered living."

"You're right. I just hate that it took me dying, then coming back to life in a different dimension, to realize my mistakes." He laughed humorlessly.

"What happens when it's time to leave," pondered Sasuke. It was the one thing he wanted to know, but was afraid of what's the answer might be.

"You guys leave, and Jade, my dad, and I stay here. I'm going to miss you all so very much, but that's the way it's going to be." She perked up. "We should forget about the past, and focus on the present. What's done is done, what's said is said. Forgive, but never forget."

"I thought the saying was 'forgive, and forget'," Itachi asked confused. Sasuke just raised an eyebrow in question at her.

"I know, but if you don't learn from the past, the past is doomed to repeat itself," she stated with a smile. The two boys let what she said sink in. She was right. They would defiantly miss her and Jade and Ren when it was time to leave. "Wait!" The two boys were startled at her sudden exclamation. "Itachi you said you had a girlfriend before. What was his name?"

"Before I left Konoha, I was dating Hana." He paused. "What do you mean he? I'm not gay," he shouted offended. Kim and Sasuke snickered.

"I thought you were supposed to be a genius," Sasuke joked. When they calmed down he asked, "Do you still have feelings for her?"

"I loved her. I still do. Feelings like that don't just disappear, but I don't think she would take me back. Why would she," he wondered aloud.

"Like you said, feelings like that don't just disappear. I've heard the saying 'love is forgiveness.’ There is still a chance she could feel the same." She started clapping excitedly, when she suddenly felt dizziness overcome her and her body began to lean to far to the side.

"Are you okay," Itachi and Sasuke asked at the same time. The two jumped up to steady her.

"I'm fine. Just lost my balance for a bit. I'm so excited! I get to play matchmaker for my brother," she shouted, beaming at Itachi. "Sasu-cakes, you’re helping me plot. Weasel-nii, you will get your woman back!" She held a fist up in determination. The two just sighed, and prayed to Kami that nothing would go wrong. "We need to find out what her favorite flowers are, and you are going to have to swallow your manly pride! Sasuke, you’re going to have to reconnect with your friends.”

“That was the plan either way,” Sasuke muttered rolling his eyes.

“Are you sure you don’t like her,” Itachi pried.

“I’m sure,” the youngest of the three answered.

“Are you gay,” Kim asked him seriously.

“W-W-What,” Sasuke stuttered out. “I’m not gay.”

“Asexual,” she asked. Sasuke shook his head no. "Asexual reproduction." She giggled as her mind wandered back to her old biology class when they learned about sea sponges.

“He can’t reproduce asexually. He’s a human. Humans need a mate to reproduce,” Itachi explained.

“But if he could reproduce by budding. Just imagine a little Sasuke popping out of his shoulder.” Itachi was strangely reminded of a Genjutsu he once placed Naruto under. “Sasuke, Sasuke, Sasuke!”

“When you say it like that it sounds like sauce,” Itachi stated.

“We can call him The Sauce!”

Sasuke groaned. His older siblings were sitting there discussing his sexuality and making fun of his name. The worst part was that they were acting like he wasn't even there. His name did not sound like sauce. He sank into the softness of the sofa and tuned them out.

“Sasuke,” Itachi called trying to get said boy’s attention.

“Sauce-que,” Kim said in a thicker version of her Spanish accent.

“Sasuke.”

“Sas-gay.”

“Sasuke.”

“Sauce-gay.”

“Sasuke.”

“Gay sauce.”

“Sasuke.”

“Sasu-cakes,” Kim yelled right in his ear.

Sasuke jerked violently to the left. He had been fast asleep on the sofa between Kim and Itachi. Sometime during their conversation he had fallen to sleep. It was a pretty deep sleep at that. He had also faintly heard them calling out to him but chose to ignore it. That was why when Kim yelled into his ear his eyes shot wide open, not expecting her to do that because it was something that his so called blond best friend would have done.

“What,” he growled out. The youngest Uchiha hated to woken up.

“Weasel-nii asked you a question.” Itachi groaned at the sound of her nickname for him. He was about to say something when he sensed someone walking towards them.

"Excuse me?” they all turned their head to face the source of the voice. “If you are not going to buy anything, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to ask you to leave," an employee told them. The three quickly got up and walked out of the store.

"If you’re going to be our sister, you need to learn to act like an Uchiha, think like an Uchiha, walk like an Uchiha, and speak like an Uchiha. So what do you say," Itachi asked.

"I like how I act. You guys come off as anti-social jerks sometimes, so I'm good there. I graduated from school five years earlier than I was supposed to, so that must mean I'm somewhat smart. I'm a bit of a klutz, though not all the time, and you can't change that. I like to talk a lot sometimes, unlike you guys. So, what else is there," Kim questioned. The two brothers shared a look. They thought about it, and came up with an idea.

"We were forced to take up an instrument. I play the flute, and Itachi can play the violin," Sasuke stated. Itachi nodded in agreement.

"Do I have to," Kim whined.

"Yes," they said in unison. They wore identical smirks.

"All this is about the whole calling you guys 'Weasel-nii' and 'Sasu-cakes,' and making fun of your name, isn't it? Fine, but you guys are going to go clothes shopping with me. I have been wanting to get a whole new wardrobe, and this is the perfect opportunity to do so," she replied cheerily. It was her turn to smirk. They guys just frowned and bowed their heads and held out an arm each, completely defeated. Kim grabbed their extended arms, and pulled them onward.

Unbeknownst to the Uchiha Brothers, she had to take an elective in order to get enough credits to graduate. So she may have joined the choir, and learned the piano in the process when the composer suddenly quit.


	15. Secret Romances and Faulty IDs

"So... Hana, you like Itachi," Jade asked nonchalantly as she was rifling through a clothing rack. She looked at a shirt, shook her head, and moved on to the next one. She repeated the process a few more times, before pulling a shirt out.

"W-what," the Inuzuka sputtered, spitting out most of the smoothie she was drinking out on Deidara's shirt. The blond was about to start a rant on how he should blow her up for that, but Jade cut him off with a smack to the back of his head. He lifted the one of the smoothies that he was holding to put it on the bump that was forming on the back of his head.

"You heard me," Jade stated the obvious. "I asked you, if you like Itachi? The really pretty guy with the long black hair."

Hana stayed quiet. She didn't know if she should talk to Jade about Itachi. Should she? Maybe the other girl could help her sort out her thoughts. The Inuzuka looked around the store, avoiding the question at hand. Was she really ready to talk about it? When he had left, she didn't have anyone to talk to about it. Their love had been a secret. Late night meetings, and small similes and soft touches exchanged as they passed by. Holding hands at the lake when they were certain no one else was around.

He had been engaged to another member of his clan at the time, Izumi Uchiha, the reason they had to be kept a secret. He never loved the girl. When he was told that she was to be his wife, he was shocked but he couldn't turn her down. He was a part of the main family of the Uchiha Clan. The heir no less. As an Uchiha he had certain duties to fulfill. The worst part was that the two had planned to come out as a couple the very next day. She had always considered their relationship Konoha’s best kept secret.

When she heard the news of the Uchiha Massacre she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe that the boy she loved was behind it. Though Itachi came off as quiet, intimidating, and unapproachable, she knew better. She had seen him for who he really was. He was a pacifist. He often spoke about how he dreamed of a future where there didn't have to be anymore wars, and how the ninja world could one day be at peace.

It had always pained her to hear his younger brother, the one person Itachi cared most deeply for, speak of his goal to avenge his clan by killing him. She knew that there was something wrong with the situation. The Itachi she knew would never do something like that. When she had heard of his death, she had locked herself away in her room refusing to come out or even eat. It had scared her little brother and mother to death. They were the only reason she did not give up on herself.

When she had first woken up in a different dimension as a cat, she was terrified beyond belief. When she found out Itachi was there with her, alive and breathing, she didn't know what to do. At first, she thought it was all a dream, but as the days passed, she knew it was not and for that she was eternally grateful.

She knew the answer to Jade's question. The real question was, did Itachi still love her. That was the question that she wanted answered, though at the same time she did not want it to be answered. Was he even the same Itachi that she once knew. He and his brother seemed to be getting along. They even managed to find the sister they always wanted. She had no problem with all the things he had done, she could over-look it all. All for him. Love really was blind.

"I don't like him," she finally answered after a moment of contemplation.

"Ha! Take that you stupid Uchiha! Who would ever like you, un," Deidara shouted merrily. He started to dance around the two girls, drawing at bit of attention to himself. He looked really weird at that moment. He had a smoothie pressed up against the back of his head and another one in his other hand, and he was dancing while trying not to spill them.

"LIAR," Jade shouted drawing even more attention to their small group of three. She turned around to face all the staring people. "What do you all think this is?! Some TV drama?! Keep it moving people! Keep it moving," She shouted, shooing the bystanders away. When they all stopped staring, she rounded on Hana. "You like him. I know you do." Hana sighed.

"I don't like him." She paused, taking a deep breath. After nearly eight years, she finally let it out. "Because I love him. Even after all this time, I still love him." Her head was down, and she looked like she was about to cry. Deidara stopped his dancing. Jade was worried. "Does he even love me anymore?" She choked back a sob.

"Hey! Hana it's okay," Jade tried to console the girl. She wrapped her arms around the older, and led her to one of the sofas set up in front of the changing rooms. Hana sat down on one of the chairs, while Jade sat on the armrest. She had no idea of what to say, so she looked to her fellow artist. Deidara shifted uncomfortably.

"I used to be sent out on missions with Itachi, un," he confessed. He could not believe what he was about to do. Though he did not like Itachi, he had started to see Hana as a friend. "Every time we went through different villages, there were always girls throwing themselves at him. It was all the time, un," he hissed out. "But he never once looked their way. At first I thought he was gay, but when I asked him he said otherwise, un." He sighed, looking at Hana. "I just figured there was someone he had his eyes on, and none of the other girls ever compared to her, un."

Hana looked up at the blond man. She had hope shining in her eyes, and smiled while throwing her arms around him in a hug. Jade gave Deidara a smile and two thumbs up. Deidara just scowled while awkwardly holding the crying girl.

"We're going to help you get your man back," Jade shouted jumping up from her seat. She looked to Deidara, silently commanding him to agree. He nodded his head reluctantly. He would much rather prefer to make the Uchiha explode with his art, than help him get his old girlfriend back. Jade had realized something she had not before. "Wait what do you mean you still love him, and if he loves you anymore?" There were still some pieces missing from the puzzle.

"Before he left the village we had been dating for about six months," Hana shared, moving away from Deidara. She wiped her face, riding it of the tears. "Sorry about your shirt," she muttered to Deidara.

"What do you mean dating? Itachi said he was engaged to some girl from his clan, un," Deidara asked confused.

"He was engaged," Jade asked shocked.

"He didn't like her, and it was an arranged marriage. Sasuke never approved of her, and for him that meant everything," Hana replied.

"Awww! It was like a forbidden love romance movie! How romantic!," Jade squealed. Deidara just stared at her with a dull look on his face. Hana blushed but gave a small smile. "Damn it, I'm starting to sound like Kim with all her romance movies," she said with a look of horror, and shivered a bit.

"So what about you to," Hana inquired. She had an intense stare fixated on the blondes.

"Huh," Jade and Deidara said in unison.

"You guys are always spending so much time together. I know it hasn't even been two weeks since we got turned back, but is there something going on between you two," Hana asked the question that was on everyone's minds.

"No," they exclaimed in unison, blushes blossoming on their cheeks. Hana hid a devious smile, she knew there was something more going on between the two.

***

Nagato and Konan had run into Naruto, Hinata, and Sakura, as they were wandering the mall. All was well, until Naruto and Nagato started being idiots. They had been talking about rather perverted things, causing Hinata to blush deeply and eventually pass out.

"Naruto you idiot," Sakura growled out advancing on the blond. Said blond was backing away in fear, his wide eyes begging his cousin for help.

"S-S-Sakura-chan, w-what are you going to do," he asked, slowly backing away like a frightened puppy. "You look very scary right now.” Sakura hit him over the head causing him to lose his balance and fall over on his butt.

"Poor kid," Nagato muttered not at all sounding sorry. Konan discreetly sent a paper shuriken flying in his direction. The red head, distracted by the scene the blond and the pinkette were causing, did not notice anything amiss and was cut across the cheek. Turning to look at his blue haired companion he whined, "What was that for?"

"You're to blame as well," she stated. He pouted childishly.

The rest of their shopping trip continued in a similar fashion. Nagato and Naruto saying inappropriate things, and Hinata blushing and sometimes fainting. When she did faint, Sakura and Konan dealt out the punishments.

***

Kakashi was spending his time browsing a book store he'd come to frequent. As was expected he was in the mature section. He had discovered some interesting reading material there. While he was paying he struck up a conversation with the woman at the cash register. In his opinion she was attractive, though he had seen better.

The woman was a redhead with brown eyes and pale freckled cheeks. They had been flirting back and forth for the better part of the hour. Receiving a text message from Jade, he decided it was time to pay for his things and go. He handed her the four books he was holding.

"So you like to read. I like an intellectual man. Someone who knows what he's doing," she said seductively her lips curling into a suggestive smirk. Kakashi just smirked under his scarf. "So mysterious, as well. I would like to uncover what you're hiding beneath that scarf of yours, among other things." She started scanning the books. A frown crept upon her face as she realized what the books were about. "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you for your ID. Standard protocol states that I have to check it, before I can complete your purchase." Kakashi nodded and handed her his ID. "Sorry kid, but nice try."

"What," Kakashi asked confused at the odd comment. The only person who called him a kid was Tsunade, albeit she often referred to him as 'that damn brat.' The woman gave him a disapproving look, and shook her head at him.

"Come back in a year," she said, handing him his ID.

"I don-" He cut himself off when he looked down at his identification card, and frowned. He had remembered Ren asking him for his birthday, which he gave him, but he never told the man his age. For one the ID it stated that he was seventeen years of age. The only reason he did not give him a year was because he thought that it would be different than what it was back home.

When he froze staring at the card, the woman had called security. The lone security guard had escorted his still form out of the store. He snapped out of his trance, put the card back in his wallet, and slowly made his way back to the food court as Jade had instructed. He scowled the entire way back though no one could see it because of his mask. No one dared to approach him because he was emanating a dark aura. Getting any new reading material would be impossible, but it was a good thing he had his Icha Icha books with him.


	16. Tricks and Cousins

Soon the group of  twelve were all slowly making their way towards the food court. The first ones to arrive were Jade, Deidara, and Hana. They were seated at their usual table towards the outer part of the food court by the tall stone wall that acted as a room divider. Their shopping bags were all hidden underneath the table, and the girs' purses were hung on the backs of the seats. Taking their usual seats, they waited for the others to arrive.

“Remember the plan guys,” Jade said to the other two. “We have to get Hana and Itachi together at all costs. No matter what!” Hana was about to protest, but Jade continued speaking. “I don’t care. You're getting your man back! We just have to push the two of you into situations where you have no choice other than to talk or spend time together."

“You guys, really. You don’t have to do this,” Hana finally managed get out.

“I can’t believe I’m going to help that stupid Uchiha, but Jade would never let me hear the end of it, un,” Deaidara mumbled grouchily under his breath.

Hana smiled, she knew there was more to it than that. She knew the blond bomber would do anything the hazel eyed girl told him to with little to no questions asked. Ever since they, the ten shinobi, had gotten turned back into their human forms, the two artists had started to spend a lot of their time together. At first it was a few hours talking about their art preferences and it only just grew from there. No one really knew what they would talk about when it was just the two of them.

“You do realize that if Itachi still likes me, and you help us get together then he would owe you one, right,” Hana pondered aloud in an attempt to placate the grumbling man.

The blond artist’s eyes widened and shined with excitement at the prospect of the oldest Uchiha owing him a favor. He sat back in his seat with a smirk adorning his boyish features. His smirk soon grew into a bright smile as he began to think about all the things he could get the Uchiha to do. The two girls just shook their heads at their male companion. The feud between him and the eldest Uchiha was really something. It could be compared to the rivalry of Naruto and Sasuke.

The group of three turned their heads when they heard someone approaching their table. First they saw Konan leading Nagato to the table by the ear with a scowl on her usually calm face while he was holding up to ten shopping bags on each arm. Nagato was muttering apologies to his blue haired best friend, but they didn't seem to have the desired effect. Then they saw Sakura lecturing Naruto, who was carrying an unconscious Hinata on his back. They were both holding a few shopping bags, and Sakura was holding on to Hinata’s shopping bags as well as her own.

“What happened to you guys,” Hana questioned, as the others got within speaking distance to the table.

“Naruto and Nagato’s crude sense of humor caused Hinata to faint,” Konan responded, taking a seat next to Deidara. Nagato sat next to the blue haired beauty, because she was still holding onto his ear. When she realized that she was still holding his ear she let go. The red head started to massage his abused ear with a pout.

Hinata woke up to find herself face to face with Naruto. She blinked a few times. Then she blushed so red that even the ripest tomato would be jealous of how red she got.

“Hey Hinata-chan, you’re awake, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto whisper-shouted. Hinata’s red face deepened in color and she promptly fainted yet again. Everyone at the table raised an eyebrow at her actions. Sakura bonked him on the head. “Owww, Sakura-chan. That hurt,” he whined in his seat clutching his head as fake tears gathered in his eyes and started to spill over. The hit didn't hurt as bad as he made it out to be. He was just being his over dramatic self as always, but then again Sakura did tend to be a bit heavy-handed at times.

“Where are the others,” Sakura asked leaning back in her seat beside Naruto. She had just noticed the absence of the others for the first time.

“They should be getting here already. I sent them all a text not to long ago,” Jade responded. “I see Kim, Itachi, and Sasuke,” she informed the others. She pointed her finger in their direction, and at the same time was making her chair lean back on two legs. She momentarily lost her balance and almost fell over, but thankfully Deidara’s arm shot out to stabilize her. Jade gave him a sheepish smile. Hana grinned at the scene, and motioned to the others to take a look.

“Hey guys, what’s up,” Kim shouted cheerfully, bounding up to the table with Itachi and Sasuke in tow. She had a few shopping bags dangling off of her right arm, and was carrying a guitar case with her left hand. She was grinning brightly.

Itachi and Sasuke were miserable. Both of their arms were overflowing with shopping bags. The two brothers were wearing identical scowls, which were directed at their sister. Once they reached the others, they shoved their bags under the table, happy to be rid of the extra weight and once again have their blood circulate through their arms again.

“What happened to you, Teme? You looked terrible, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted to his best friend as he threw his arms behind his head. Sasuke turned his glare to the loud mouth blond.

“Hello everyone,” Kakashi greeted with a simple wave of his hand. He too, like everyone else, was holding a few shopping bags on his arms.

“So Teme, what’s wrong with you,” Naruto asked again.

“We got played,” was Itachi’s reply.

“Who pulled one on the Great Uchiha Brother’s,” Deidara asked. Whoever that person was he wanted to congratulate them.

“She lied to us,” Sasuke accused while shooting a dirt glare at Kim. The accused widened her eyes. She wore a look of pure innocence and total disbelief. Putting a hand over her heart she began to speak.

“I did no such thing.” Sasuke and Itachi both glared at her. She smiled brightly at them. “You guys told me that I would have to learn how to play an instrument. You never once asked me if I already knew how to play one. Like I told you two, my grandpa taught me how to play the guitar when I was younger and in order to graduate I needed to take an elective and took up the piano,” she said in defense of herself herself.

“You knew that, and yet you still made us go to practically every store in the mall,” Sasuke growled out.

“Not to mention that you took your sweet time to look at everything,” Itachi tacked on. "You're one of the fastest walkers I've ever met, but the slowest shopper." Sasuke could only nod his head in agreement.

“I got a whole new wardrobe, and a new guitar. I regret nothing,” she responded, smirking at her defeated brothers. Might as well rub salt in their wounds. “So ha, Sasu-cakes, Weasel-nii, I win.”

When the others heard the nicknames for the two brothers, they all practically fell over laughing at the expense of the Uchiha brothers. Naruto and Deidara were rolling around on the floor. Sakura was trying to keep a straight face, but every time she looked at Sasuke she started giggling. Hana was having the same problem as the pink haired girl, though her giggles were directed at Itachi. Everyone had their own confliction. The brothers had light blushes gracing their features due to the embarrassment at the hands of their sister.

Once everyone had calmed down they decided to grab a bite to eat, but only after a bit of complaining on Naruto’s part. The blond was complaining of hunger. After that he started to whine about the lack of ramen at the food court. They were all seated at the table once again.

“Kakashi-sensei, are you alright,” Sakura asked having noticed that his eyes were droopier than usual, and that he was sitting with more of a slouch than was normal. Everyone turned to look at the resident white haired man. Kakashi sighed.

“I’m feeling, dare I say it, youthful,” he responded with sadness leaking through his lazy drawl. He was twenty-nine years old not seventeen. Though he could not tell the cashier that. She would have called the authorities, they would arrest him, and then they would start asking questions about why he had a fake ID in the first place. Then something would go wrong and their identities would be exposed, and they would have to hide from the government. Then Kim, Jade and Ren’s lives would be in danger. That or he would end up in a jail cell. Either way it was all too, as Shikamaru would say, troublesome.

“What are you talking about Kaka-sensei,” Naruto asked through a mouth full of cheeseburger. When he talked some of the chew up food landed on Sasuke’s face. As retaliation Sasuke threw his fork at the blond and when he realized he had nothing to eat with, he stole Itachi’s. Itachi in turned tried to steal Kim’s fork, but was smacked. He ended up having to walk all the way back to cutlery station and receive a new one.

“I’m seventeen years old, at least that’s what my ID says,” he informed the group. He took out his identification card to show them. The others took out their cards to inspect them.

“My card has the right age,” Hinata stated. Deidara, Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto confirmed that their ages were correct as well.

“It says I’m eighteen,” Konan said. Itachi, Hana, and Nagato’s all said they were age eighteen. “Oh, I even have Jade’s last name.” Naruto took one look at Nagato’s card before he took it out of the man’s hands, and gasped.

“Why do you have my last name,” Naruto questioned. The others all raised an eyebrow at the two, and stared on in curiosity.

“Because I’m a descendant of the Uzumaki clan,” he stated like it was something everyone should have known.

“Does that mean you’re my cousin, dattebayo,” he shouted in to Nagato’s ear, causing him to flinch from the loudness of the blond’s voice.

“Yeah, I guess it does.”

Naruto started beaming, and threw his arms around the red head in a bone crushing hug. Nagato retuned the hug full force. Naruto had started to tear up, as did Nagato. Though some of them would never admit it, they were all touched with the sight of the heart-warming scene that was playing out before them. Two orphans, who had thought they had no family left in the world, had found each other, and all it took was them getting somehow sent to a different dimension as cats.

After they had all calmed down, Nagato and Naruto wearing stupid grins the entire time though no one could really blame them, they decided that it was time to head back to the loft. After a quick argument over who was going to pay the bill for their dinner, they finally decided that Kakashi, and Deidara would pay. Though when they looked back the two were nowhere in sight. Itachi and Nagato were the next to mysteriously disappear. Soon all the guys had fled from the restaurant leaving only the girls behind. Jade then realized that she still had her father’s company credit card, and used that to pay. Gathering all their bags they left the mall. The entire trip back to the loft was filled with their complaints about how useless men could be at times.

When they made it back to the loft, it was already eight o’clock at night. As they walked into the loft they shot glares in the guys' direction for just leaving them there. They had left at around nine in the morning. After spending practically the whole day shopping, they were exhausted. Putting their recent purchases away, they all got ready for bed because most had work the next morning, and the others were just plain tired.


	17. The Accident

    It had been three days since their impromptu shopping trip. For those who had to wake up early for work that Tuesday morning, it was slow and tiring. While Sakura, Hana, Nagato, Itachi, and Sasuke were still sleeping in, the others were moving sluggishly around the house getting ready for the day. Kim did not have to be at work that day but still had to wake up early to run the shop while Ren was away.

    Sasuke was yelling at Naruto to stop making so much noise when the blond hit his head on the bed above him. Nagato and Itachi were having the same problem with Deidara and Kakashi. Deidara was only making so much noise to bother Itachi. Kakashi was doing it for reasons unknown to them, but he was really enjoying it on the inside. Naruto probably was rubbing off on him, or maybe he was just a sadist; there was a chance that it could be both.

    The girls were having little to no problems. The only problem they had run in to that morning was who got to use the bathroom first, though that problem was easily resolved when Kim had told them that they could use hers as well. Sakura had slept through all the noise, after  years of camping with Naruto and enduring his loud snoring and sleep talking, she was pretty much used to all the noise. Kim was sitting at the kitchen bar trying to keep herself from falling asleep in her cup of morning tea.

    "Kim," Jade shouted in said girl's ear, a musical lilt to her voice. The ebony haired girl jumped in surprise.

    "Go to hell," Kim growled around a limb-stretching yawn. She sent a glare at the dirty blonde before resting her head down on the countertop.

    "Well aren't you the a ray of sunshine this morning," Kakashi commented from where he was sitting on the kitchen counter beside refrigerator, working his way through a plate of sunny-side up eggs and toast curtesy of the resident Hyuga. Kim shot a glare at him, which he returned with one of his signature crinkled eye smiles.

    "Does anyone want extra bacon," Hinata asked as she held up a plate. Kakashi and Jade both swiped a few pieces, and Naruto and Konan were having a stare down for the last one. Hinata offered the last piece to Kim, to which she just shook her head silently saying no. Deidara walked up and popped the last piece into his mouth. Naruto and Konan mourned the loss of the crispy goodness.

    Kim stood up, deciding that it was time for her to start getting dressed. As soon as she stood she was hit with a feeling of lightheadedness. She lost her balance and had to grab onto Jade's shoulder to steady herself. When the others asked her if she was alright, she waved them off and told them that it was because she stood up to fast. Kakashi raised an eyebrow at her, but said nothing about it.

    Much too soon for everyone's tastes, it was time for them to head off to work and start the day. Jade straightened out her hot pink skirt and made sure her cream colored blouse was tucked in properly. She then started complaining about how Kakashi should take off his mask, with Naruto supporting her argument.

    Kakashi just tuned them out as he finished his breakfast, tanking Hinata as he was his plate. Noticing the girl's struggles, Kakashi made his way towards Kim and helped her roll her long sleeves up to her elbows. He couldn't help but take notice of the weak stealing grip she had on his arm. When he asked if she was alright, she assured him she was fine, just tired. Reluctantly, he released the grip her hand on her arm, taking note of her racing pulse. She gave him a smile before telling the others she was heading down before walking out the door.

    Half of the ten ninja and Jade slowly began their trek to work, pausing only to say bye to Kim as they passed her at the receptionist's desk.

     Kakashi spent the entire walk to the mall reading his book, generally ignoring the others. Jade and Naruto were contemplating all the different ways they could get him to take off his mask, or see him without it on. Konan was trying to get Hinata to admit to her crush on Naruto by wiggling her eyebrows and motioning to the blond in question. Deidara was on another rant about his art that no one was really paying any attention to. Once the group reached the mall they all went their separate ways, aside from Jade and Deidara.

    The work day had started off slow. There weren't many people out shopping that day. The people that were there, were aimlessly wandering around the mall looking for something new that apparently wasn't in any of the stores that the ninja and Jade worked at. With no customers to tend to,  Kakashi was, yet again, reading his beloved orange book. 

    He paused in his readings, allowing his mind to wander off, though his thoughts alway went back to the same person. Ever since their conversation at the water fountain's edge, the majority of his attention had been taken up by Kim. He noted that she had been acting strange for the past few days. Thinking back, he came to the conclusion that her strange behavior had started the day after her date with Jake. Had he done something more than just reject the girl? Kakashi wasn't sure. She never talked about it, at least, not to him be beyond what she told him at the park. He remembered the promise she had made him make to her, that he would not tell the others of her bad date. He didn't know how it went bad, but it seemed to have a lasting effect on her. What happened?

    He had been keeping an eye on her, which was something strange for him to do. Usually he wouldn't bother to care, much less, worry about someone else's wellbeing, especially when he didn't have to. He would just shrug off their problems as if they were nothing, they were of no concern to him, and be on his way. He blamed Naruto for that. The blond was rubbing off on him, though, admittedly, in a good way.

    Sitting down behind the check-out counter, he pulled out his phone. Staring at the screen, he debated on what he should do next. He could call and ask Kim herself, but there was always the chance that she would deny anything being wrong, much like she had not to long ago. Then again he did tell her that she could tell him if anything was wrong. Maybe Jade had the answers he was looking for, but the fashionista seemed unaware of any strange behavior.

    It was a possibility that, this was normal behavior for Kim. Thinking more on the subject, he realized that it was not normal behavior for anyone. With that in mind, he decided to search the internet. He had remembered back to when Ren was telling them about the internet. Ren had clearly stated that the internet had all the answers, and all he had to do was know which questions to ask.

    Kakashi spent the better part of the morning searching the internet. He got on to Google, and started randomly asking questions. What he found did not make him feel any better. It only raised more questions, and served to make him nervous. All he could think about was how could something like that could happen to her. He prayed to Kami that he had come to the wrong conclusion. Being a child genius had its rewards, but it also came with a few drawbacks. Kakashi did not know if it could be considered a reward or a drawback.

    Ever since they had been turned back into humans, none of the ninja had their guards up. They had felt safe, considering that they were the most dangerous beings around for miles. The shinobi part of Kakashi had started to sense danger. Not a danger to himself, but to Kim. He didn't know if he was just being paranoid or if the danger was real, but it wouldn't hurt to check up on her.

    That was why he found himself heading back to the loft on an early lunch break. He clocked-out and left the store in a rush. On his way back he felt a sense of foreboding in the air. That was never a good sign. He kept sensing danger. Red flags were going up in his mind, but he just wrote it off as him being paranoid. He picked up his pace, wanting to get there faster. It seemed that everything was against him. The traffic was going by slowly, preventing him from walking across the freeway and over to the shop.

    In the end he became impatient, and sprinted across. He pumped chakra into his feet to increase his speed, and became a blur as he ran. If anyone spotted him, he would have looked like a flash of white and write it off as nothing. He stopped directly in front of the building. It was almost as if he was afraid of what he might find inside. He knew she was in the shop and that there were other ninja around, but even ninja couldn't prevent everything. He also knew that Kim hated when people bothered her when she was busy and had taken the time to warn them against bothering her.

    After a bit of stalling, he finally pushed himself forward. He walked straight through the front door making the little bell chime. Then he walked across the reception area and through the door behind the large desk and into the garage. When he first walked in, he heard no noises. The only sounds that he could hear were coming from the traffic on the freeway. He should have heard the sounds of tools clanging or tightening of bolts.

    Kakashi froze, and his entire body going rigid. His sensitive nose picked up a scent, that as a shinobi, he was very familiar with. It smelled of a combination of rust and salt, the scent of blood. The scent was so strong that he could almost taste it. His heart started to pick up its pace, as his stomach jumped into his throat. He needed to find her. He needed to know that she had experienced a minor accident, resulting in a small injury.

    He found her.

    The girl he had, unknowingly, come to care about was splayed out on her back beside a small upended tool box and its spilled contents, in a pool of blood that seemed to be steadily growing by the second.

    "Sakura," Kakashi shouted at the top of his lungs, as he quickly ran to her side.

    Kneeling beside her prone form, he pulled her small body onto his lap. She was cold, her skin was deathly pale. Bringing a shaking hand up, he checked for a pulse. It was faint but it was there, and that was all that mattered. He began to take to take stock of her injuries while trying to surmise what had happened. As a result of her recent spells of dizziness, he figured she must have fallen on her way to find something to lean on. From the bruising on her arm coupled with the scrapes on both her palms, he assumed she must've tried to catch her self and possibly broken or fractured her arm in the process. Judging from all the blood soaked on the tools and the bloodstained wrench clutched loosely in her right hand, she must have landed on the open tool box and then at some point managed to pull the wrench out.

    The sensation of her warm blood underneath his hand as he tried to staunch the bleeding brought back unbidden memories of another girl he once cared for. A girl he failed to save. He let out a deep shuddering breath.

    "SAKURA!"

***

    She had been in the middle of attempting to cook lunch with Nagato when she heard the distressed shout of her sensei, dread making her feel like someone had dropped a bucket of ice water on her head. Kakashi was one of the strongest ninja in their village... no... the Elemental Nations. If he was in distress... Dropping what she was doing, she rushed out the door and down the spiral staircase. Sakura along with those who were home trailing behind her, burst through the door leading to the garage.

    Everyone but Sakura, who subconsciously entered medic-nin mode, froze at the sight of Kakashi trying to keep Kim from bleeding out; Kakashi panicking, Kim dying. The pink haired girl hurried over to the unconscious girl. Questions pertaining to Kim's injury rushed passed her lips witch her sensei answering the best to his ability. The slight quiver to her sensei's voice only served to make her uneasy despite her professionalism.


	18. Healing and Realizations

    "What happened," the pink haired girl demanded, voice calm though on the inside she was anything but. After a complete rundown of the situation, she ordered her sensei to keep his hand steady as she placed chakra covered hands on either side of his hand. She assessed the internal damage, cursing when she discovered the punctured lung.

"I don't know," he replied, fighting to remain calm, though it didn't show on his face. It wouldn't do any good for him to panic. "When I got here she was already..." He ran his free hand through his hair, coating it red in the process. "Why didn't anyone else... Why wasn't anyone else around? She could have died!"

"Itachi and Sasuke were down here, but she kicked them out; telling them not to disturb her while she was working," Hana replied. "She told us that she couldn't have any distractions, and that she would come back up to the loft when she was finished."

"Hana, she's going into v-fib," Sakura called out to the Inuzuka when she felt the older girl's heart begin to beat erratically. Hana rushed over and placed both of her hands over Kim's chest, steadily pumping her chakra towards her heart, sending small electrical pulses towards the organ.

The two girls worked on in silence. Kakashi held the injured girl in his arms, refusing to let her go, though no one dared to ask him to. Hana monitored her heat, while Sakura worked on healing the wounds. Slowly, ever so slowly, she managed to draw out the blood that had made its way in to Kim's lung and closed the laceration. From there she began repairing the damage caused by the puncture. Finally she managed to get the bleeding under control.

At some point, she had sent Konan back up to the loft to retrieve some much needed materials. Sakura opted to close the wound with stitches rather than using chakra to heal it completely.

"Sakura," Hana called out slightly panicked. "She's lost to much blood. Her heart can't take much more. If this keeps up she could go into cardiac arrest." She began to manually pump Kim's heart in order to keep her heart beat up. "I don't understand," she gasped between chest compressions. "She's perfectly healthy... why's her heart so weak."

At that Nagato had to restrain the Uchiha brothers from rushing forward. They struggled and fought him, trying to break free of his hold. It was only when Sakura snapped at them, stating they would be of no help, and get in her way which would make matters worse. She then turned back to her job.

Sakura did a quick scan over Kim's body, and found that Hana was right. The girl had lost about thirty-nine percent of her blood, approximately four pints, and she only just had managed to get the bleeding under control. If she bled any more then Sakura risked the chance of losing her. Sakura needed to perform a blood transfusion, and fast.

The pink haired girl ran into a few problems. She knew that she could perform the transfusion with little to no problems, but where would she get the blood. Ren was still in jail, but she didn't know his blood type and she needed a match. She would have asked Kakashi since his blood type was O, the universal blood type, but the man had just recently been on antibiotics for strep throat. What she needed was Ren or a blood type match, and that was not the only problem. The donor would have to be willing to donate about twice the normal amount which would be risky for the donor.

"I going to need to perform an emergency blood transfusion," Sakura stated. "The problem is; Ren isn't here, and there's no way that he would get here in time. I need to do it now, or as soon as possible. We don't have much time to waste. Hana can only keep her heartbeat going for so long, and the longer we wait... the risk for her going into cardiac arrest is too high, even more so with the extensive blood loss. Not to mention if her heart does stop and we don't revive her in time, she could go into multiple organ failure."

In the meantime, while she tried to work out the issue of the transfusion, Sakura set to the task of setting Kim's broken arm and placing it in a temporary splint. With her arm taken care of, Sakura began to work on the small gash hidden on the back of Kim's head.

"I could donate. Don't they say that type O is the universal blood type," Kakashi offered. His grip tightening around the girl.

"Can't," she said. "You you're still taking antibiotics for your throat infection. Not only that, but that person would need to donate at least twice the usual amount," she stated, whipping at the sweat that gathered at her brow.

"What's her blood type," Hana wondered. The brunette had finished healing the broken arm and had returned to monitoring the her friend's heart. Kim's pulse was weak, but steady.

"AB," Sakura recalled.

"I'll do it," the Uchiha brothers offered at the exact same time, both stepping forward and out of Nagato's hold.

"We're both type AB," Itachi explained. "And we're brothers."

"This is perfect," Sakura gasped, the tension in her shoulders dissipating just the slightest amount. "This way I won't have to take so much from one person. Since I don't have the proper tools, I'm going to have to figure something out. Maybe I could do something similar to my poison extracting technique." She stopped for a second, mentally going over the procedure. "Konan I need you to prepare me a saline solution. Sasuke-kun, Itachi! I need you two to get ready for the extraction, though I must warn you it might be painful. Remove your shirts and get close," Sakura instructed.

Konan got to work right away, following Sakura's instructions. Opening the proper scrolls, she pulled out the needed supplies and began prepping the saline solution. Itachi quickly complied, and did as he was told. Sasuke hesitated for a bit. When his brother nudged him, he followed her directions. The two brothers took seats within arm's reach of the pink haired girl. Meanwhile, Hana and Kakashi worked to cut away and remove Kim's shirt leaving her in her blood soaked bra.

"Konan bring me one of the bowls, and get ready to hand me the next one when I need it." Turning to face the brothers she asked," Are you guys ready? Who's going first?" Itachi scooted closer, and laid down. "This is hurt so Sasuke, Nagato please try to keep him as still as possible. Sensei, I'm going to need you to do the same with Kim. Konan, please keep a hold on her legs. She might be unconscious, but I'm sure her body will still react. I don't want to risk her pulling her stitches. Hana?"

"I know," the Inuzuka reassured the pink medic with a nod. Her hands placed over Kim's chest, monitoring the girl's heart.

With a deep breath, Sakura placed one of her hands over the solution, and concentrated her chakra. When the solution formed a bubble around her hand she brought it up and made her way to the two brothers. Placing her empty hand on one side of Itachi's abdomen, she pushed the solution into the opposite side. She looked to him silently asking him if he was ready; he nodded his head in the affirmative. She took another deep breath, and slowly started to lift her other hand. When her hand came up, causing Itachi's body to spasm, so did a pint and a half of blood. It was a little more than she was planning to take, but it would do.

Moving to kneel over to Kim's body, she slowly pushed the solution directly into her chest, pulling her other hand up along with the clear saline solution. The pink haired girl placed the solution back into its bowl as Hana quickly got to work assisting Kim's heart in circulating the new blood. She nodded over to Sakura, silently saying that she could proceed.

Sasuke took his brother's place on the ground. Itachi, even though he was still a bit dizzy, held down his younger brother's shoulders. Nagato held out the second bowl of the solution. Sakura followed the same motions as before. Sasuke swore that he saw her smirk at him as she extracted his blood. Once she had successfully completed the transfusion, she sat back exhausted. They watched on as Hana continued to circulate the new blood.

When the Inuzuka nodded her head confirming that Kim's heartbeat was stable, everyone let out a sigh of relief. Sakura had to wipe away a few stray tears. She sat back up, and started focusing on healing any broken bones. Kakashi stopped her.

"Wait till you've regained enough chakra before you start healing her bones. It wouldn't do to have you passing out from chakra depletion," Kakashi stated. "The same goes for you, Hana." The two girls nodded.

"Sensei can you carry her up to her room," Sakura asked. "We need to get her cleaned up." Kakashi nodded, lifting the girl up gently. He cradled her in his arms, and made his way up to the loft with Hana following after him.

Sakura stayed sitting down, as Itachi and Nagato made their way back inside. She laid down on her back while taking a deep breath, and then letting it out slowly. Throwing her arms out to the sides, she sighed in exhaustion.

Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of her. One thing he knew for sure, she was not the same Sakura that he had left behind.

Walking over to her he nudged her leg with his foot. She opened her eyes to see Sasuke standing over her with a hand outstretched towards her. Grabbing hold of his hand, he pulled her up to her feet. She blushed lightly when she stumbled into his chest. Putting her hands on his chest for balance, she met his eyes, getting lost in them. When she realized that she was slowly leaning into his embrace, she sprung back like she had been shocked. His eyes widened at her sudden movement.

"Sorry," she muttered, her hands fidgeting at her sides. "I didn't mean... I mean... uh... We should be heading back inside now." She slowly made her way back to the loft.

Sasuke stayed where he was for a moment lost in a memory, before making his way after her.

***

"I have a plan," Kim said jumping on Sasuke, who was sitting on the couch watching TV.  
  
"A plan for what," he questioned, never once looking away from the screen despite the fact that his sister was practically sitting in his lap.

"To get you and Sakura together," she replied in a 'duh' sort of tone.

"Do I really want to know?"

"Yes, you do." She looked at him expectantly.

"Fine, go on."

"Be her friend. Show her the part of you that cares, the part of you that you're constantly trying to cover up with that cold attitude of yours. Although, from what Hinata has told me she's always loved you, despite you're cold attitude and all that avenger nonsense. Prove to her that you're better than Alex. If you just show her you care she'll love you in no time, 'cause I know I do."

"I know I consider you my sister, but how can you say you love me. You don't even know that much about me."

"Though that may be true... Um... I can't really explain it. I love you because you're my baby brother, and I would do anything for you. Love isn't something you can explain, it's just something that you feel. I know you love her even if you won't admit it to yourself, I can see it in your eyes when you look at her. Just like when Hinata looks at Naruto."

"Have you ever been in love before? The romantic kind?"

"I can't say that I have. Maybe someday."

***

A little more than half an hour later, Itachi and Sasuke found themselves sitting in the living room while Nagato had gotten back to making lunch. After a long shower to wash away the blood, Kakashi laid on his bed staring up at the underside of the top bunk. Sakura and Hana had fallen asleep in their room as Konan worked on getting Kim cleaned up and into fresh pajamas. They had put Kim in her room to recover.

The ebony haired girl had yet to regain consciousness.


	19. Passing the Time

Early Thursday morning on October twenty-fifth, Ren walked out of the police department as a free man. He quickly made it across the parking lot and down the street, beginning his long trek back home. Once he made it to the shop, he wasted no time in entering the building. Closing the door behind him, he walked across the reception area over and up the spiral staircase. Once he reached the door at the top of the stairs, he ran into a problem.  
  
He unlocked the door with no problem, but when he tried to open it there in lay the problem. The door would not budge. Putting more force behind his push, the door would not move. Letting out a groan, he put his back against the door, and used his legs to push. He got the same results as before; nothing. As he increased the amount of force he applied on the door, he started to slowly slide down until his butt hit the floor.

“Son of a bitch! Someone open this goddamned door,” Ren shouted after finally losing his patience. He was jiggling the doorknob while pounding on the door with his fist.

On the other side of the door, there was a groan and some shuffling followed by the door slowly opening. Looking up at him were the droopy eyes of their resident blond terrorist. The blond was struggling to stay away and remain standing up straight. Ren rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of the blond man's arm, guiding him out of the way as he walked through the threshold.

“Morning,” Deidara mumbled as he was attempting to find his sense of balance when Ren had let go of his arm. He rubbed his eyes sleepily as he stumbled over to a stool at the kitchen island, where he promptly fell asleep with his face plastered to the quartz countertop.

“Ren, you’re back,” Sakura noted in surprise as she had walked out of her bedroom after finally pulling herself out of bed to see what the commotion was all about. She'd completely forgotten Ren was to be released that morning. At the sight of the expression on the usually playful man's face when he spotted her, she knew what was on his mind. His frown lines coupled with his hard eyes had given his thoughts away.

“How is she,” Ren asked getting straight to the point, no need to pussyfoot around. On his third day stuck in that cell, he had gotten a call visit from Jade. At first he was confused when he realized the blonde had come alone, but then he was informed of the situation. At first he was in denial. Then his daughter's best friend had explained everything to the best of her ability, omitting many details due to the jailer standing off to the side, including their collective decision to inform him in person rather than over the phone.

“She'll make a full recovery. Though I think I went a bit overboard and ended up needing at bit of rest myself," she said with a laugh. "Now all that's left for us to so is wait for her to wake up, which should be at any time now."

Slowly the questions that had been gathering at the back of his mind, spilled from his lips. Sakura soon gave the man a retelling of the situation, beginning with Kakashi's shout for help, to the frenzied emergency surgery and the tense blood transfusion, and ending with them placing the girl in her room to rest. Ren nodded his head, taking in the information. Now, as he stood before the pink medic with most of his questions answered, he allowed himself to feel the full extent of the worry he had suppressed for the past two days.

“How did this even happen? Sure she's gotten a few cuts and bruises, but never anything like this. Shes never even had a broken bone before. Yeah, she doesn’t have the best sense of balance, but her reflexes are amazing. I taught her better than that,” Ren cried in frustration causing the sleeping blond to jerk violently awake. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a deep breath, his hand curling into a fist as he brought it down to rest at his side.

“That’s the exact same thing Jade told me,” Sakura mused, watching the worried father make his way up the stairs after receiving at pat on the head from the man.

***

“I’m bored, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto whined from his place on the living room floor.

“For once I have to agree with you, Dobe,” Sasuke muttered, the whole idea of agreeing with the other boy, leaving a sickeningly sweet taste in his mouth.

“What did you say, Teme!” Naruto shouted sitting up as he rose to the younger Uchiha's jibe.

“Tch, Dobe.” Sasuke turned his head up in annoyance. Soon the two boys were on their feet.

“Shut up,” Sakura intervened before a shouting match could commence. Naruto’s and Sasuke’s eyes widened, both sitting back in their seats, or on the floor in Naruto's case, quietly. The other men, Itachi, Kakashi and Ren, in the room snickered. Sakura and Hana gave them all looks that instantly quieted them down.

“This is why Hinata-chan is my favorite, she’s not scary like Sakura-chan,” Naruto said leaning over to envelop the indigo haired girl in a warm embrace. Hinata started to turn a lovely shade red right before she passed out. “Hinata-chan!” Naruto started shaking the unconscious girl in hopes of waking her up. When the girl woke up only to fall unconscious again at her close proximity to the blond, the Uzumaki boy started to panic. “Oh, no! I killed Hinata-chan!”

“It’s a wonder how he could remain so clueless all the time,” Hana pondered aloud. “I mean, every time she’s around him she stutters and blushes like there’s no tomorrow. Do you guys think he’ll ever realize that she likes him?”

“Did you guys say something,” Naruto asked as his panic started to die down.

“I would say that’s a no,” Kakashi said looking up from his book for the first time, a book that he had seen Kim reading shortly before her accident; The Last Song.

At that moment two things happened. Nagato, with Konan trailing behind, came bursting through the front door and Jade and Deidara ran out of her room and down the stairs. Nagato was holding a golden retriever puppy and Konan was holding a few shopping bags.

“Look at the bundle of cuteness I found,” Nagato exclaimed as he walked over to the group sitting in the living room. He held the puppy up for all to see. Konan rolled her eyes, dropping the bags at his feet, and taking a seat on the other side of Naruto.

“We need help,” Jade and Deidara yelled out in sync. They were standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms hidden behind their backs.

“I’m not cleaning up after that,” Ren said gesturing to the puppy held in the redhead's hands. He then turned to face the two blonde disaster-causing artists, suspicion evident in his dark brown eyes. “What did you two do this time?”

“What makes you think I did something wrong,” Jade questioned feeling slightly insulted that Ren was quick to pin the blame solely on her. “It wasn’t only me, it was Deidara, too.”

“Hey! You were the one that screwed it up, un,” the blond bomber accused, a scowl on his face.

“Shut it, Dei! It was your idea in the first place,” Jade shot back in her defense.

“How cute, she even has a pet name for him,” Konan gushed in a monotone, a hand placed delicately over her heart. Deidara shot her a glare.

“I’ll ask again. What happened,” Ren said in a tone that demanded an answer. His eyebrow twitched; either he was low on potassium or he was ready to wring someone's neck.

The two artists shared a look, having a long drawn-out conversation, their source of communication being overly exaggerated facial expressions, in silence before seemingly coming to an agreement. They started bumping shoulders, almost as if they were trying to decide who would make the first move. Jade sighed and lifted her left arm which prompted Deidara to do the same with his right, from out behind their bodies. When they held up their arms, their arms from the wrist down were incased in some type of clay or cement like substance.

“What happened to you guys,” Naruto said as he fell to the floor laughing, taking Hinata down with him. Nagato laughed and Itachi smirked which caused Deidara to glare at the elder Uchiha. Ren let out a sigh of exasperation. It was always something with these kids.

“You two,” he said pointing at the conjoined artists. “Come with me.” He led them both down stairs and out behind the shop to an old tree stump. “Wait here," he ordered them like small disobedient children, and as he walked away, muttered, "I should just leave you two stuck together for the rest of the week. I swear if it’s not one thing, it’s another.”

“Hey, it wasn't only my fault this time. It was an accident,” Jade screeched, having heard the man. She blew a raspberry at the man's turned back as he disappeared into the tool shed.

“Put your thing on the stump,” Ren instructed as he walked back over to the two idiots with a hammer clutched tightly in his right hand. “Don’t freak out. Or feel free to panic, I really don't care.” With that he brought the hammer down like in a carnival game of test-your-strength.

“AHHHHHHHH!”

***

“What was that,” Hinata asked, glancing toward the living room window despite not being able to see out of it. She was still sitting on the floor next to Naruto.

“It sounded like Jade,” Sasuke stated while Itachi bit back a laugh. After knowing the man for nearly a year before their deaths, Itachi knew with absolute certainty that the high pitched scream did not come from Jade.

“What should I name my dog,” Nagato inquired, effectively changing the topic.

“Google it,” Hana offered, much like how the residents of this dimension would say when they were faced with a question they didn't know the answer to, or just couldn't be bothered. She whipped out her phone and typed into the search engine. “The top five names are Bella, Lucy, Molly, Daisy, and Coco. Which one do you want?”

“Konan,” Nagato asked his blue haired best friend. It seemed he was still incapable of making decisions without her input.

“I like Coco,” Konan decided after a moment of contemplation, grateful her opinion still mattered to the redhead.

“Hello, Coco,” Nagato cooed to his new puppy, making kissy faces at the little dog who gave a light yip,seeming to approve of the name, and liked his nose.

“Fearsome leader of the Akatsuki, right,” Sasuke drawled. “At least Kakashi never acted like that.”

Itachi gave a snort. “Apparently you’ve never seen him-“ he was cut off from saying when a couch pillow was thrown at his head. He turned his head over in the direction the pillow had come from, and saw Kakashi nonchalantly turning a page in his book. Fine, then. He would save the man's secret for another time. Maybe he could tell his sister when she woke up? He was sure she would appreciate the laugh.

“What happened out there,” Hana asked when she heard the door open, turning her head just as the three walked back inside the loft.

“Deidara started screaming when Ren brought the hammer down on the block," Jade managed to choke out through her breathless giggles.

“It’s not my fault, un! I’ve lost both my arms before, and one time was because of him, un,” he yelled pointing at Kakashi. The white haired Jonin just gave him one of his crinkled eyes smiles in return.

“Wait! So that wasn’t Jade screaming! I'm surprised you didn't break a window, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted. "Ever consider joining the opera?" Deidara turned scarlet at the statement.

“What do you guys want for dinner,” Ren asked in an attempt to diffuse the situation. Before anyone could reply he spoke again, “Well you’ll eat what I cook.”

“Why do you ask, if you not going to listen to us,” Jade pouted. Ren just shrugged.

“Where did Sakura-chan go,” Naruto questioned no one in particular, finally taking notice of the girl's absence. As it turned out, everyone aside from Kakashi and Hana had been to invested in the group discussion to notice the pink hairs girl's disappearance.

“She went to go meet with Alex,” Hana answered him.

At hearing where his former pink haired teammate was, Sasuke sunk deeper into the sofa cushion, a slight scowl on his face. Itachi patted his little brother on the head, only to have his hand smacked away and be glared at.


	20. The Reason Why

It was late at night, around two in the morning. There were no sounds in the house save for the howl of the wind outside. All occupants of the house lay in bed sound asleep, all except for one.

He couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, sleep just seemed to evade the white haired man. He would have read a book until he fell asleep but thanks to some rule stating that he couldn't read one of his beloved books in the room at night, he didn't. It also didn't help much that the younger Uzumaki slept practically on top of him, quietly snoring into his ear. He resorted to walking aimlessly around the loft while reading his book.

Without realizing where he was going, he soon found himself taking the stairs and coming to a stop in front of a door he often found himself visiting. Slowly pushing the door open, he peered inside. A stream of moonlight shining through the closed window highlighting the form of the sleeping girl on the bed. Leaning against the doorframe, he studied the girl’s prone form. She was small, small compared to him and most others; she was a few inches taller than his pink haired student and the blue haired girl. Although, in time, those two would probably end up taller than her. She had naturally peach colored skin with a light tan from all her time outdoors, though at the moment her skin was pale. Her long ebony colored hair was spread out over her pillow with her bangs hanging over her twitching eyes.

“I know you’re awake,” he stated. He felt something inside him relax at the sight of her moving to sit up. She was alright. Silently, so as not to wake anyone, he walked into the room shutting the door behind him. “How long have you been up?”

“I woke up for, like, ten minutes a few hours ago, but then I fell asleep again. I only just woke up when you opened the door,” was her quiet rasp of a reply, her voice, more than likely, hoarse from not having used it in a few days. She also purposely left out the part where she had removed the catheter along with the pee bag. “What happened? All I remember was, trying to get back to the loft, falling, a lot of pain, and then everything went black.”

"When you fell, you fell on an open tool box," he began as he took a seat at the edge of her bed. "When hit the box, you were impaled by a wrench, which we only know because it was in you hand when I found you. You must have pulled it out on reflex before passing out. You had lost a lot of blood by the time they were able to get your wound closed. They had to give you an emergency blood transfusion.”

“But my dad isn't here. I don't even think he's a type match. How? Where did-“

“Itachi and Sasuke donated. Since they're brothers, they were both matches. Which was a good thing since you needed twice the amount of blood a single person could give.”

“Why am I in my room? Shouldn’t I been in the hospital? I’m confused,” she asked all in one breath. Her head was starting to hurt.

“Sakura is a highly trained medic. She performed the transfusion and healed your stomach wound with Hana's help, though she didn’t have all the tools she needed. She ended up using a technique that would normally extract poison to withdraw the blood, and then transfer it to you. Your left arm was broken, and your shoulder was dislocated. She healed everything, although you might feel a burning/tingling sensation along your shoulder blades.

He watched her face to see what kind of reaction she might have. She had seemed a bit confused at first, and then her face changed into a fort of dazed expression. He gently pushed her back down onto the bed when she tried to stand up.

“I have to pee,” she explained, once again making a move to stand. He nodded in understanding, and helped her to stand. He face contorted into one of irritation at the soreness her body experienced. At first she was a bit wobbly on her feet, but with the help of Kakashi she made it to the bathroom door. “I’m sure I can make it to the toilet on my own.” It was only after she had closed the door that she realized she was only wearing a long baseball shirt that just barely covered the important parts which were feeling rather breezy.

While she was in the bathroom taking care of business, Kakashi retook his seat on her bed contemplating, a light flush, hidden by his mask, on his cheeks. Getting away from those thoughts, he pondered over whether he should confront her about his suspicions now, or wait till later? If he waited till later, there was no telling when later would actually come. He decided to ask her now rather than later. At the moment everyone was sleeping the night away, ensuring that they wouldn't be interrupted. But first, there was something he wanted, needed, to get out of the way.

“Get dressed,” he ordered as soon as Kim had walked out of the bathroom. She watched him walk out of her room before turning around and getting dressed slowly. Running the brush through her hair a few times before gathering it all in a messy ponytail, she was done. She opted to leave the gray baseball shirt on, put on some underwear, and throw on pair of black pants and her all black Converse. Walking out of her room and down the hall, she met up with Kakashi.

“Where are we going?"

“Out,” he said vaguely. He had thrown on the pair of jeans he had been wearing earlier that day, and a long-sleeved navy blue shirt over the one he usually wore that had his mask. She nodded her head in acceptance of not knowing where they were going, but trusting him anyways, and followed him out the door and down the spiral staircase.

He led her over to her father’s truck. Kim immediately walked over to the driver’s side and got in. Kakashi gave her a look before he lifted her up and dropped her into the passenger’s seat. She stared at him as he closed the door, put the key in the ignition, and drove off.

“Since when can you drive,” she asked bewildered, not being able to recall a time when the man had gotten lessons.

“It wasn’t that hard to learn. I’ve watched you, Jade, and your father enough times to get the gist of it. Then there was also that book I found in one of the kitchen drawers,” he answered, smirking slightly under his mask.

It was quiet for the rest of the ride. He pulled off the road, and into a parking lot, quickly parking in the vacant lot. Sliding out from hi seat, he shut the door before making his was to the other side of the truck to assist the girl.

“Mary’s Diner,” Kim said raising an eyebrow as she read the neon sign. She shrugged her shoulders, and followed in after Kakashi, who was holding the door open. The two walked over to a booth in the back.

The diner had a 50s theme. There were black and white checkered tiled floors. Red leather booths lined the walls. Swivel barstools lined the counters. Tall circle tables were on the open floor area. There was a jukebox pushed up against the wall. The white walls were decorated with records and pictures of famous recording artists of the 50s. Much to her amusement, there was a movie poster for Grease.

“Hello, kids. How may I take your orders,” a kind elderly voice asked. The woman was plump with gray hair. She wore a black collared shirt, alight pink skirt with a frilly white apron, white socks with black and white Oxford shoes and a kind smile. When she took notice of whom she was talking to she beamed. “Oh Kimberly! It’s been so long since I’ve last seen you. You’re looking as beautiful as ever. Oh! Who is this? Is he your date?”

“N-n-no! Mary were just friends,” Kim stammered blushing. The old woman, and owner of the diner, pouted.

“Well, if you don’t want him I’ll take him,” Mary teased. Kim giggled when Kakashi choked on his spit. “Just kidding darling. So what will it be? The usual?”

“No I’ll-"

“She’ll have her usual, and I’ll get the same thing,” Kakashi ordered for them. Kim threw him a look. He shrugged in response.

“Two usual’s coming right up. I’ll have your drinks out in a jiffy, but your food will take about twenty minutes,” the woman smiled, sending a quick wink in Kim’s direction before walking off.

“I can order for myself,” Kim huffed, leaning back in her seat with her arms crossed. Mary came back and dropped off their drinks and returned back to the kitchen. Kim swirled Coke and ice with her straw. Kakashi watched her, contemplating on how he should confront her. He decided to be blunt, like always.

“Do you have an eating disorder?” Kim stared at him.

“What would make you think that,” she questioned glaring, nearly knocking over her drink.

“Why are you getting so defensive,” Kakashi demanded, voice coming out harsher than he intended. She looked down, trying to hide her watering eyes.

"Why do you even care?"

That... that was a good question. A question he didn't know the answer to. “You can tell me," he urged, reaching across the table to place his hand over her's. "I promise I won’t tell anyone. It'll just be between us. I just want to know why. You were fine. I-I noticed something was off, but I didn't do anything. If I have just said something, then I could've stopped all this from happening. I could've done something. So, what would have caused this? I noticed something around the time... Was it something that guy said to you?”

“I guess you could say that he said some things that triggered it,” she replied quietly, glaring down at the table. She could feel a lump in her throat.

“Triggered? So this is an existing problem," he mused, tightening his grip on her hand. "What caused it the first time?" He heard a sniffle. “Kim?” She looked up at him with tears in his eyes. At some point their conversation turned into an interrogation in his haste for answers. He'd forgotten that it must have been hard for her to talk about. “I'm sorry. You can trust me. I just want to help.”

“Why is it always you that sees me at my worst? Not even my dad has seen me like this. Though I am kind of glad that it’s always you,” she said giving him a watery smile. She flipped her hand over so that their palms touched and she held his hand. She gave his hand a firm squeeze, steeling herself for what was to come. “I wouldn’t even know where to start.”

“The beginning is always the best place to start,” Kakashi offered. She took a deep breath.

“I guess it all started with my mother.” She stood up and walked over to a rack of magazines. Skimming through a few she found the one she was looking for. While she was busy doing that a waitress brought over their orders, a bacon cheese burger hold the tomato with fries and a side of cream gravy. Sitting back down, she opened the magazine to the right page. “My mother,” she said gesturing to the woman on the page.

“Your mother is a model,” Kakashi said, examining the picture. The woman had the same peach slightly tanned skin as Kim. She had light green eyes, and chestnut brown hair. She was also very tall, at five foot eight inches, a solid four inches over her daughter. The woman was extremely beautiful. “I don’t get it."

“She was the top model, her career was just getting started, and then she met my dad and got pregnant with me. If it was solely up to her, she would have given me up for adoption. My grandma begged her to keep me, and publicists wanted to avoid a scandal. Those vultures thought it would be good press. They were going for the hardworking single mom angle. For some reason she wanted to keep my dad out of the picture. She always resented me. Because of me she had to miss out on a lot of the things she would normally do. I remember she had gotten so mad at me when she had to miss fashion week in Paris, because I had the flu."

Kakashi reached across the table for her hand, this time entwining their fingers and using his thumb to rub soothing circles on the back of her hand. He gave her a nod, silently urging her to continue.

"It was really hard growing up in the spotlight. You always had to act and appear a certain way. If one hair was out of place, it was noticed. It was so hard. I was the chubby kid." She gave a soft humorless laugh. Kakashi wished she would stop that. It worried him. "My grandma thought it was adorable, but the media didn’t. They started writhing things, and calling me overweight. Some even called my mother a bad parent. So, she started making me go on a diet. That was also around the time she put me in ballet; it was the only time I ever felt free." She paused to take a sip of her drink, flashing the man a small smile.

"You lost yourself in the routine. You didn't have to think, just move," Kakashi agreed, "I can understand that."

“But then it got worse when my grandparents died when I was nine. They were the only ones who actually cared about... well, me. My grandmother was always the one who let me be a kid. My grandpa always took me out on fishing trips and told me these crazy stories. Mother would get so mad at me when she would pick me up and find me covered in mud. When they died she became so cold, and just plain mean. I wanted her to love me, and accept me. So I thought that if I became the perfect daughter, she would finally notice me.

So, I tried to lose the weight for her, but no matter what I tried it just wouldn’t go away. When I was at a photo shoot with her, I had heard some girls talking. They said that the less you ate the more weight you would lose. I tried it, and it worked. When I told her about my progress she seemed so proud of me. So I decided to cut out more foods, and then it got to the point where I would only drink water. I ended up collapsing during a recital, and it got to the point where they wouldn't even let me rehearse.

Then one day, I had had enough. I wanted the parent that all the other kids had. The parent that plays silly made up games with them, takes them to the park, takes them swimming, or just tell you that they loved you." She had to stop before she became hysterical. Wiping her tears, she began again. "I always thought it was... weird that I never knew my dad. So I did some searching, found my birth certificate, and all I had was a name. It was so hard, but I never gave up. The only thing that kept me going was the thought of having a parent that cared and loved me. I was desperate.

Eventually I found him. He was in prison though. At first he didn’t believe me, but when I showed him my birth certificate… the look on his face… there are no words to describe how happy he looked. He hugged me, and told me that it was the best day of his life. A month after that he got let out on parole, and he took my mother to court to gain custody over me; I was eleven at that time."

"Obviously, he won," Kakashi said with a smile.

"Obviously," she snarked, playfully. "He’s mostly stayed out of trouble since then. I met Jade at school a little after that, and we’ve been best friends since then. I guess when everything started to get better, I formed better eating habits. I was finally happy. When Jake made that comment about how I should watch my weight, it just brought up all of my old insecurities. Not to mention that the other girls are so beautiful and thin, and I’m not,” she finished. Her eyes were red, and slightly puffy. "I never really delt with it, never got any help."

“Thank you for trusting me,” Kakashi said thinking over ways to help. He pushed the plate of food in front of the girl which she accepted. He slowly studied her. He honestly didn't see what she was so worried about. In his opinion, she was in great shape, but it wasn't his opinion that mattered, it was hers. Once you've began to see yourself a certain way, it was hard to change your mind. Though she wasn't the chubby kid anymore, she couldn't let go of that mentality. Living in a world that put so much pressure on women to look a certain way, certainly didn't make matters any easier. Not to mention that fact that that was the basis of her mother's entire career.

How would he make good on his promise to help? Talking seemed to have done wonders for her mood and her appetite, which was a relief. What was that saying? Healthy body, healthy mind?

“If you want it bad enough, I can train you. Ninja training is a great way to stay in shape.” She gave him a bright smile, and pushed her empty plate to the side, leaned across the table, and threw her arms around him. “I’ll take that as a yes. If you want me to train you, you’re going to have to eat more. You need to keep your energy levels up.”

“So, I can get a refill on my Coke,” she asked shyly, sitting back down. Kakashi just laughed, and called the waitress over. Kim wore a face of curiosity. She asked him the question that had been on her mind ever since she had first met him, but had been too shy to ask. After spilling her backstory, she felt she could ask him anything. “What’s under your mask?”

She felt the excitement bubble up within her when he reached up to pull down his mask.

“Another mask! Cool right,” Kakashi said excitedly, smiling like a fool. Kim banged her head on the table, as her white haired companion laughed.

Mary, the owner of the diner, smiled at the sight before her. The two would make such a wonderful couple.


	21. School and Training

BANG

BANG

BANG

At six in the morning, Ren made his way down the stairs, banging on the bedroom doors, only a few minutes ago he had received a phone call pertaining to the youngest four of his ten dimension-hopping house guests. When banging on the doors failed to wake them, he resorted to plan B. Walking into the rooms he turned on the lights and pulled off the covers. He was met with a bit of resistance from some, but those he just smacked awake. Soon he had them all sitting in the living room area still dressed in their pajamas. Most wore dangerous glares, other fought to hold back yawns and struggled to keep their eyes open. How adorable.

“So, I got a phone call this morning,” he started. No one was paying him any attention. “Hinata, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke have to go to school.” That certainly got everyone’s attention.

“What,” the three sixteen year olds shouted, jumping to their feet. The fifteen year old simply nodded in understanding, resigned to her fate.

“The three of you are only sixteen years old, and like all sixteen year olds you have to go to school,” Ren stated the obvious.

“But we graduated from the academy when we were twelve,” Sakura tried to reason.

“You graduated from a school in a different dimension, it doesn’t count,” Jade put in, attempting to diffuse the situation, like gasoline on a fire. "They don’t have any records of you guys. So, you have to go.” The four ninja made faces of distaste. “It’s either go to school, or pay a fine and your guardian goes to jail. Right Kim?”

“Don’t ask me. I never enrolled,” Kim replied, snuggling deeper into the sofa.

“Why do we have to go?! Kim didn't go, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted. He was hit with a decorative sofa pillow.

“I was home-schooled," the girl hissed, shaking her head. "I went for like a week for placement tests, and to visit the classes I could be placed in. I didn't enroll because I tested for high school level classes at twelve, when usually a person would enter the ninth grade at fifteen. They insisted it would be in my best interest to stay with students my own age. So... homeschooling."

“Can I be homeschooled as well,” Sasuke asked, taking a liking to the idea.

“No,” Ren declined bluntly. “Mainly because someone would have to be making sure that you guys would actually do all of the assigned work, and the other reason is, no one actually wants to do that."

The three sixteen year olds of Team 7 looked at the other occupants of the room with varying degrees of pleading eyes. Every person that they made eye contact with shook their heads in a silent no. Some smirked at them. Kim reminded that that she was only seventeen, and not yet a legal adult. Sasuke glared at nothing in particular. Naruto pouted. Sakura crossed her arms and groaned. Hinata remained silent, having already decided to make the best of it.

“When do we have to go to school,” Sasuke asked the question on all their minds.

“In about an hour,” Ren replied. Everyone’s jaws dropped. Sakura, Sasuke, Naruto, and surprisingly Hinata all groaned at the news. The others laughed at their misfortune.

Jade jumped up, grabbing Hinata and Sakura by their arms and escorted them to her room to play dress up. Naruto and Sasuke begrudgingly went to get dressed for their first day of school.  
  
“We have less than an hour to make you guys look cute for your first day of school!”

“Someone carry me back to bed,” Kim moaned, though she was ignored as everyone tiredly shuffled back to their rooms to get some more sleep.

A figure loomed over Kim.

“Come on,” Kakashi said. “Let’s get dressed and start your training.” He lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder. She started wiggling in his hold trying to get free.

“I don’t want to! It’s too damn early!" The white haired man shifted her body over his shoulder, making her face dangle dangerously close to his behind. "If you fart, I’ll kill you! Let me down! I changed my mind! I can walk to my bed! Sleepy! I want to go sleepy pillow!”

“Stop complaining. You agreed to do this my way,” Kakashi reminded her with a sigh. He was trying to hold her legs down and prevent them from kicking something ‘important’. Entering her room he dropped her on her bed. “Get dressed in something comfortable and breatheable.”

When he closed her door, she stuck her tongue out at him while making obscene hand gestures. She got up and rummaged through her drawers looking for something to wear. In the end she found a pair of yoga shorts and a green tank top. Putting on a pair of black running shoes, she laid back down on her bed, glaring at the ceiling.

Just as she was about to fall back to sleep, Kakashi decided to barge into the room. She screamed in fright. Kakashi walked over to where she sat, and took hold of her ankle and pulled her off the bed. When he tried to pull her out of the room she held on to the door frame. He lightly ran his fingers along her side forcing her to let go with a squeal. Wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, he carried her downstairs and out back.

***

“Okay you four, now we head to the front office. Where I have to fill out a bunch of paperwork to get you all enrolled,” Ren narrated as he was lead the four teens to the school's main entrance. They walked in through the doors and were met with the school’s receptionist.

“Hello, how can I help you today, “the woman asked looking up from her computer screen? She was an older woman who looked like she would rather be anywhere than surrounded by teenaged degenerates six days a week. It would've been five, but most of the little delinquents managed to get thrown in Saturday school.

“I’m here to enroll my lovely children,” Ren stated with a slight sarcastic undertone. The woman blushed when she had gotten a good look of him. The four teens behind him shivered, a bit disturbed. Sasuke felt sympathy towards Ren. Fan girls were no fun.

The woman kept smiling at him as she handed him a four small stacks of forums for him to fill out. The five took seats as they waited for Ren to be done with the papers. Every few minutes he would look up and asked them a question. After he was finished with that, he handed the receptionist the forums and waited for her to enter the four into the school system. The woman handed him their school schedules after searching available classes.

“Here are your class schedules,” Ren said as he handed them out. “Class starts in about five minutes. Don’t do anything stupid and get yourselves expelled. Try going a sports team or a club or something. Have fun kids.”

“You seem oddly excited about this,” Sakura noted.

"I never got to do the whole child’s first day of school thing with Kim, so I’m going to use you four,” Ren explained, smiling sheepishly. “Head to your homerooms, and don’t do any ninja things. Got it,” he warned looking at Naruto and Sasuke. Then he walked out of the school waving goodbye.

The four ninja stood and compared their schedules. They had a few classes where they were all together like homeroom, Chemistry third period and Gym class seventh period. First period Sakura and Hinata had World History, while Sasuke had Spanish and Naruto had Algebra II. Second period Sasuke and Sakura had Algebra II, while Naruto had Spanish and Hinata had English. Fourth period Naruto and Hinata had Art class, while Sakura had Spanish and Sasuke had World History. Fifth period Naruto had World History, Sakura had Art class, Sasuke had English, and Hinata had Latin. Sixth period Naruto and Sakura had English, while Sasuke had Band and Hinata had Algebra II.

With that the four headed off to their homeroom class before the bell rang.

***

“WATER! I need water!”

“Feel the burn!”

“Stop spending so much time with my dad! It's creepy how much you're starting to act like him!"

"No pain, no gain!"

"WHY ARE YOU SO PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS?"

It was around nine o’clock in the morning, three hours after Kakashi had started her training. The two had found a clearing deep into the forest, and decided it would be a good place for training. Kakashi had created a whole work-out routine the night before, one he implemented immediately. He had her stretch for about ten minutes before moving on to the other things. Then it was the usual push-ups and sit-ups. When he made her do pull ups it took a while before she was able to lift herself up; he would have to work on building up her upper body strength. He made her do lunges around the entire perimeter of the clearing. Then he had her running laps nonstop.

“Can I please take a break,” Kim asked as she collapsed in front of him, spread out eagle style on the grassy ground, her breathing labored.

“Yeah we can take a little break,” Kakashi mused, taking a seat next to her fallen person. He handed her one of the chilled water bottles he had brought down from the loft. She drank all but a fourth of it. "Slow down."

“Are you trying to kill me,” she grumbled. “What’s next?”

“How about… some combat training. Do you know how to throw a punch,” he questioned. She gave him a look. “That’s right... I almost forgot. You punched me in the face when I first met you.”

“Hey! In my defense I was pretty freaked out. You were a cat one minute, then the next you were a man. Don’t go making it seem like I punched you at random,” Kim hissed, her eyes narrowed.

“You tried to kill me,” he said dramatically, the back of his hand on his forehead. Then he smirked under his mask. “Yeah, because a little tiny person like you can kill me.”

“I’m not tiny or little,” Kim screeched jumping to her feet. “And given time, I bet I could beat you in a fight.”

“Let’s start working on your hand to hand combat,” Kakashi said standing up. He took a few steps back and got into a fighting stance. “Or is the little person to scared,” he taunted.

Kim narrowed her eyes yet again, and lunged at him.

***

“SASUKE, you bastard, I've found you,” Naruto shouted from down the hall. The other students in the hall covered their ears from the loudness of the blonde’s voice, while some of the girls, who relished the sound of his raspy voice, had hearts in their eyes. He ran over to the aforementioned bastard, jumping on his back.

“Dobe, get off me,” Sasuke growled, trying to pry the blond off of him.

“I’ve missed you, Teme. I haven’t seen you since third period, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto stated as if it had been years rather than less than an hour; they had fifth period lunch. “Have you seen Sakura-chan or Hinata-chan?” The blond had put a hand over his eyes and started scanning the crowd of students. When he spotted pink, he grabbed Sasuke by the arm and dragged him over to their pink haired teammate.

“Hey Naruto, Sasuke,” Sakura greeted when the two boys came to a stop in front of her. Sasuke frowned at the lack of the ‘kun’ at the end of his name, though it went unnoticed.

“Hello Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun,” Hinata greeted shyly. Naruto threw his arms around her in a tight hug.

“I’ve missed you! I haven’t seen you in years,” he exaggerated, rocking the girl back and forth. The shy girl started to turn beet red, though she didn’t faint, which was a first.

“B-b-but N-Naruto-kun, we had a-a class together right before t-t-this last period,” she stuttered out. Sakura saw that the indigo haired girl was about to faint, and pried her away from the blond’s grasp.

“We should head to lunch already,” Sasuke suggested. He just wanted to get out of the hall. He didn’t like the looks they were all receiving. They all had somehow gained their own little fan clubs.

The other three nodded their heads in agreement and followed after the Uchiha. When they walked in the cafeteria all heads turned to them, before they looked away, resuming their conversations. They got in the lunch line. Naruto was muttering something about ramen. Hinata was the only one to pay any attention to him. Once they reached the end of the line they all had faces of disgust. The group walked over to an empty table and sat down.

“What is this,” Sakura asked, poking at the thing on her red and brown rectangular meat thing tray with a fork. Pulling out the lunch menu for the month from her binder, she discovered it was supposed to be meatloaf. It definitely didn't look anything like the one Ren had once prepared.

“It’s pretty good,” Naruto stated, shoving another forkful into his mouth. The others held their trays towards him. He shrugged before piling their lunches onto his own tray.

“I guess the only thing edible is the fruit,” Hinata inquired, poking at the little plastic tray filled with fruit cocktail. Sasuke and Sakura nodded. Hinata looked over at Naruto, but something behind him had caught her attention. “Sakura, um… you might want to see this.”

“See what,” the pink haired girl asked facing the only other female at their table. Hinata pointed to a scene happening behind Naruto. She looked over to where Hinata was pointing and her mouth fell open. The boys looked over to where the shy girl had pointed, their eyes narrowing when they saw what had caught the Hyuga's attention.

There sitting at a nearby table was Alex. He looked pretty comfortable with the redheaded female that appeared to be trying to suck his face off. The girl was nearly straddling him in his chair, and he had his hand placed high up on her thigh.

Naruto and Sasuke were pissed. They wanted to break every bone in that cheater’s body. Sasuke would go first, and then Naruto would get what’s left. Turning back around in their seats, they saw their pink haired teammate get up, casually stride over to Alex. Naruto swallowed hard, recognizing the clam face paired with that easy non-threatening walk that was anything but. Hinata watched through worry-filled eyes, her hands placed over her mouth in anticipation for what was to come. Sasuke remained silent as he watched the scene unfold, once again not knowing what to expect from Sakura.

***

Kim lay on the ground, he chest rapidly rising and falling as she fought to catch her breath. Scratches and already forming bruises littered her body. Kakashi was not one to wait to get to the good stuff. He wanted to see if she had any skill. If there were things he had to teach her from the beginning, or if he could work with what she already knew and build up from there.

From what Kakashi picked up she could throw a pretty decent punch, when she could actually land one. She was capable of using his own weight against him, having managed to throw him off balance several times, once even flipping him up and over onto his back.  
She was always moving, it was almost as if she could not stay still, and she was highly aware of her surroundings. She lacked physical strength, but she made up for that in agility. He suspected most of it was due to her time doing ballet as a kid, the rest from Ren's self-defense lessons. Overall she was not that bad, but she had potential to be great.

“Are we done yet,” Kim gasped out.

“Yeah, we’re done for the day. Do you want to continue training tomorrow,” Kakashi asked looking over at the girl.

“It’s hard work. I know for a fact that I will be sore tomorrow, but… I want to keep training. Today was fun,” she said smiling. “I want to see how far I can go.”

“We should go get something to eat now,” Kakashi stated, " and that's not something I want to happen again. You're still recovering."

“Can you carry me,” she asked with wide and glossy eyes; puppy dog eyes. Kakashi looked away, and when he looked back, she had stuck her lower lip out. With a long-suffering sigh he crouched down in front of her motioning for her to get on. Once she was on, he hooked his hands under her knees to keep her up, and walked back towards the loft. “I want a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and iced tea. Oh, I wonder if we have beef jerky left. Or did Sasuke eat it all? He's always eating my snacks.” He swore that she was a long lost member of the Akimichi clan, but he preferred her that way.


	22. Movies and Randomness

Once again all twelve of the loft’s occupants, excluding Ren, were lounging around the living room. The four youngest of the group had just gotten back from their first day of school, and they were relaying the highlights of their day.

“You should have seen her, dattebayo! I didn’t think she was going to do anything, but I was wrong. Dead wrong, ‘ttebayo! Sakura-chan just got up and walked over to him calmly. When she got there she started acting all cute, like she hadn’t just seen him sucking face with some other chick. Then as she was talking she grabbed a handful of spaghetti, and then BAM! She threw it in his face! She even shoved garlic bread down his pants! When that other girl tried hitting Sakura-chan, she tripped her! That girl landed in another girl’s cake! After that the entire cafeteria broke out into a food fight! It was so much fun, dattebayo,” Naruto retold the events of their lunch break.

Hinata was shaking her head and giggling along with Konan and Hana. Sasuke sat there smirking while Itachi was shaking his head at his little brother. Kim, Deidara, and Nagato were full out laughing. Kakashi was surprised to hear that was all she had done to the guy, he knew of her temper that rivaled that of the Hokage’s. Jade was raving on about their ruined outfits slightly reminding Sakura of another blonde.

“Did any of you join a sports team,” Ren questioned them eagerly. “I’ve always wanted to be able to go to my child’s games or meets, but Kimberly ruined that for me.”

“What the hell, dad! I was practically finished with school by the time I even met you,” Kim retorted in her own defense, glaring at her father.

“No one told you to graduate THREE years early! You damn nerd,” Ren said crossing his arms in defiance.

“I wasn’t even in public school! I was home-schooled, remember? I remember you giving me so much grief when it came taking me to go take the standardized tests."

“Excuses,” muttered Ren making Kim throw her arms up in exasperation. “So did anyone join a sports team?”

“Once me and the Teme learned how to play, and the coach asked us to join the basketball team,” Naruto stated nonchalantly. Ren was so excited that he jumped up and gave the boys a bear hug.

“This is so exciting,” Ren exclaimed. “What about you girls?” They shook their heads in the negative.

“You guys should join the cheerleading squad,” Jade shouted her suggestion, though everyone in the room knew that it really wasn't. Kim rolled her eyes. “I was a cheerleader in high school! It’s so much fun! You get to go to all the sporting events for free, they even give you snacks, and you get to wear the cute little uniforms,” she gushed. The two girls told her they would try out, causing her to squeal in excitement.

"It's not even real gymnastics. It's all stiff movements and pep," Kim grumbled under her breath. "Not to mention all the glitter. It's not like any of the teams have ever made it to the semi-finals or anything."

"Someone's salty," Kakashi whispered into her ear, followed by a light chuckle. She glared at him. He gave her a cheeky grin. "I've always been partial to the performing arts. The ballet in particular."

"Shut up," Kim whined, knocking the man with her shoulder.

“I’m bored,” Hana announced to the room in an attempt to take Itachi's hard stare off of the Hatake and his little sister. It seemed to work.

“Movie marathon,” Kim suggested with a shrug of her shoulder. She looked around getting the approval of the group. “Hana picks the first movie.”

Hana nodded and got up from her seat. She walked over to one of the two selves on either side of the mounted tv that contained all the movies they owned. After skimming through the movies, she found one she thought would be cute. Holding up the movie for the others to see, she waited to hear their responses.

“Beauty and The Beast, an animated Disney Princess classic,” Jade stated as Kim sat up straighter with a dorky grin on her face. Surprisingly only Deidara, Nagato and Sasuke groaned when they heard the word: princess.

“Oh! That was a beautiful ending, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted wiping a stray tear. “The feels!”

"Sakura gets to pick the next one,” Hana shouted, shoving the girl forward.

The pink haired girl rose from her seat and look through all the movies. She could not decide on a good movie, so she just chose one at random. She ended up choosing the 1978’s Superman. The group ended up watching the 1980’s Superman II, and Superman Returns. All the guys congratulated Sakura on her choice of movie.

After that they went to bed as it was late on a school night, and some had work.

***

Kim woke up in a daze the next morning, sitting up groggily and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. As she stretched her arms out over her head, she glanced at her digital alarm clock. Looking straight ahead and then turning her head, giving herself whiplash, back over to look at the clock, she hoped she had read it wrong. She stared at the clock for a few minutes, before jumping out of bed and scrambling to get dressed. She was two hours late for work.

She nearly fell over as she tried to put her on her shoes as she ran out of her bedroom and then running back in as she realized she had to pee. Walking back out of her room, slightly more composed, she headed straight for the front door.

“You’re not late for work,” Kakashi spoke as she passed him on her way to the door. She stopped in her tracks, turning on her heel to face the man sitting at the kitchen counter.

“I was supposed to be there two hours ago,” she shouted, "and don’t you have to be at work too? If you continue being late all the time, you’re going to get fired.”

“I won’t get fired. I bring in too many customers for them to even consider it,” he said smirking slightly underneath his mask. “Besides we are already at work.”

“How the hell can we be at work when we’re still in the loft? Are yo-“

“Shadow clones. Although I don’t have enough chakra to make as many as Naruto, I can still make two, one for me and one for you, and sustain them for a few hours.”

“What’s a shadow clone?”

“You can learn that when you learn to mold chakra. Get changed and let’s get to your training,” he said standing up and grabbing an apple.

Kim quickly ran back to her room, and took her time changing into her workout clothes. She opted for another pair of black shorts and a yellow tank top over a gray sports bra. Once she was changed and had laced up her black running shoes, she made her way out back and towards the clearing in the forest.

“Well you sure took you time.” She smiled cheekily as a reply.

“When do I start learning to mold chakra, whatever that is,” she asked excitedly.

“Chakra is the resulting form of energy when two other energies are mixed together, having those other two energies become more powerful, and will in turn make the chakra more powerful. These two energies are physical energy, which is collected from the body's cells, and spiritual energy, which is built up through experience and meditation,” Kakashi explained.

“Now I know what chakra is, but what does molding chakra mean,” Kim asked still confused.

“Molding chakra means to extract energies from both the body and the spirit, and then mixing them up in your body. And the amount of each energy will differ from the type of technique you wish to execute. In other words, the amount you'd need to draw out will be different. You are not able to use your chakra effectively. Even if you are able to mold a large amount of chakra, if you cannot control the balance, your technique will only be half as effective or not executed at all. Using too much chakra can result in chakra deficiency. Do you get it?”

“Yeah, pretty much. So basically I’m going to have to build up my physical strength, and start meditating,” she replied, completely simplifying the man's explanation. “Once I do that then I can start molding chakra, and learning how to control it. How do you release it? I would hate to think that I’m just leaking chakra out all the time.”

“We don’t leak it. We release it with hand signs,” he said laughing. “We release our chakra with hand signs. There are twelve hand signs. They are bird, boar, dog, dragon, ox, tiger, serpent, rat, horse, monkey, hare, and ram,” he explained forming the hand seals as he spoke their names.

“How about we focus on building up my physical strength, and working on meditation before we go into all that confusing stuff,” she asked smiling sheepishly. Kakashi stared at her. “Don’t look at me like that. I understand what you’ve said. Are you going to keep up with that shadow clone thing every day so we can train?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

“How many laps?”

“No laps. Today we are going to focus on meditation.”

***

“WE’RE HOME,” Naruto shouted as he walked into the loft. Sakura, Sasuke, and Hinata trailing behind him. Sakura was about to yell at Naruto for being so loud when Jade ran up to her. The hazel eyed girl grabbed the green eyed girl by the shoulder and started shaking her.

“Did you guys try out? Did you make the team,” Jade demanded.

“We both made the team,” Hinata spoke softly.

“Yes,” Jade exclaimed happily. She then turned around skipping and then plopped herself down on the couch next to Deidara. Sakura and Hinata both shared bewildered looks.

“What do we do now,” Konan asked, flipping through a magazine as per usual. It was a great way to pass the time while simultaneously learning about their new home.

“We continue on with the movie marathon,” Nagato offered. The others agreed to that.

“I want to pick the movie, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted as he ran into the living room area and over to the shelf filled with movies. He took his sweet time choosing a movie, and when he finally picked a movie he chose, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. The movie was met with a round of boos from Jade and Kim. Going back to the self he took a leaf from Sakura's book and pulled one out at random. Disney's Hercules was soon popped into the DVD player.

Everyone settled in, getting comfortable. Somehow they had convinced Deidara and Itachi into making them all snacks. The two rivals came back from the kitchen with bowls of popcorn, pickles, candy, and cans of soda.

“That dude’s wearing a skirt, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto shouted when Zeus made his appearence on the screen at the beginning of the movie.

“My turn,” Kim shouted when the movie had finally ended. She already knew what movie she was going to pick since the day before. The group ended up watching the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. All four of them.

***

“Hey Konan,” Jade whispered, later on that night after everyone had gone to bed. She had gone to get a late night snack when she spotted the other woman sitting at the counter.

“What do you want,” was the questioned girls reply. She knew Jade was up to something, and it seemed she was going to find out whether she wanted to or not. Putting down the perfectly folded paper bird, she turned to face Jade.

“Keep your voice down,” Jade whispered harshly. Regaining her composure she asked, “Want to join in Operation Matchmaker?”

“Do I even have a choice?”

“I like you, you catch on quick. Listen…” Jade then went on to explain her idea of getting Hana and Itachi together. When Konan asked why they were getting those two together, she explain their tragic love story. Then she went on to explain that she was going to help the others get together as well. In the end, Konan was on board.

“How are we going to get them all together,” the amber eyed girl wondered aloud.

“Yeah, I haven’t come up with that yet," Konan admitted. "All I know are the couples we want.” She continued to fiddle with the paper as she lost herself in thought. Soon she had a jar of full of little paper hearts and an idea. “I’ve got it! Halloween is coming up, right?”

“Yeah,” Jade said unsurely. “Wait, how do you know what Halloween is?”

“The internet, but that’s not the point.”

“It’s not?” Konan shook her head in the negative.

“Nope. My idea is to use the costumes to try and get them together.”

“You mean like costumes for couples?”

“Exactly! In one of the magazines Susan left at the store, there was this big article for couples' costumes."

“Tomorrow the two of us are going costume shopping. I already have a few costumes ideas in mind.”

The two kept on plotting into the night. They worked out which couple would get which costumes.


	23. Jade Shops and Naruto Cooks

“Morning everyone,” Kim greeted cheerfully as she walked into the kitchen area.

“Ahhhhhhh,” Naruto shouted, nearly falling out of his seat.

“Dobe, what’s wrong with you,” Sasuke asked monotonously.

“Kimi-chan! Don’t push your bangs to the sides like that,” the blond shouted, not paying any attention to his best friend.

“Kimi-chan? It sounds weird, but I’ll get used to it,” Kim said shrugging, moving to take a seat at the table. Then she remembered what had caused the initial shock. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

“You look even more like the Teme when you do that, dattebayo!”

“Well, at least my hair doesn’t look like a duck’s ass," she grumbled, glaring a Sasuke for some unknown reason.

“It’s doesn’t look like a duck’s ass,” Sasuke retorted haughtily, returning his sister's glare from across the table.

“She has you there little brother,” Itachi added as he walked over to them.

“Kimi-san, could you possibly help me,” Hinata asked shyly. She had her hands on the top of her head holding all of her hair in place. Kim nodded, and followed after the shy girl leaving the guys to finish their debate. She led her to Kim’s room, and asked her to close the door.

The shy girl dropped her hands from her head before Kim could ask what the problem was. When Hinata’s hands were away from her head, her hair puffed up at the top. Hinata explained that she had tried to crimp it, but it did not come out right.

“I can try to fix it, but we don’t have much time.” Kim got straight to work on the other girl’s hair. At first she tried to see if she could do anything to give Hinata the hairstyle she was aiming for, but it just wouldn't come out right. In the end, Kim pulled out her hair straightener and set to work. It worked for the most part, but the hair at the crown of her head refused to straighten causing some sort of wave.

Telling the momentarily crazy-haired girl to wait, Kim went into her closet. She came out with a pink and green square box, and pulled out a lavender-colored slouch knit hat.

“Try this on,” the ebony haired girl instructed. The indigo haired girl did as she was told. The hat had done its job of hiding the messy hair. Sighing in relief, Hinata sat down on Kim’s bed to allow the other girl to secure the hat in place with bobby pins. Something had caught her eye the box that was placed beside her. She pulled out a soft black case, and inside was a white handheld video camera.

“Oh hey! I’ve been wondering where that went,” Kim exclaimed when she noticed what was in the other girl’s hands.

“What is it?” She turned the device over in her hands, pulling open the side panel to reveal a small screen. It looked like a camera.

“That’s right; you guys aren’t as technologically advanced as we are. It’s a hand held video camera.” She then went on to explain how to work it. “You can have it if you want.”

“I couldn’t,” Hinata tried to decline. She had heard just how expensive the video cameras from a movie set were worth from Sakura after she and her team went on that mission to protect the movie star turned princess. Surly something in a much more compact size had to be worth more.

“No it’s okay. I never use it anyways. I’d rather take pictures with my camera than record videos,” she explained with an encouraging smile gracing her features. Almost as if reading the Hyuga's mind she said, "Besides I won this thing off a group of collage kids trying to hustle me."

Hinata gave a nervous smile as she fiddled with the camera lens. “What would I film with it?”

“Anything you want! Even Naruto!"

"No!"

***

“Konan! Commence Operation: Matchmaker,” Jade shouted as they walked into the entrance of the mall.

“I’m standing right here! There’s no need to yell!”

“You’re yelling too!”

“Touché,” Konan said waving a finger at her partner. “What exactly are we looking for?”

“Well my dear blue haired friend, we are looking for the perfect costumes,” Jade said as she was looking through the windows of the stores they passed, waiting to be inspired.

“I get that, but why can’t we just go to a costume shop,” Konan asked slightly confused. Going to a store that specialized in costumed seemed like the obvious course of action.

“It’s because everyone in this city will get their costumes at a costume store. So if we look for cute clothes that we can turn into costumes, we will be unique and we won’t have to worry about someone else wearing the same costume as us,” the blonde explained. She then grabbed her partners hand a pulled her along.

The two girls soon found themselves wandering through the doors of a thrift shop.

“Hey what about this puffy shirt,” Konan asked, holding up a loose off-white puffy sleeved shirt.

“It’s perfect! What do you think about this red and white polka dots dress?” The red dress was long with short sleeves, and big white polka dots all over. Konan pulled a face. “I’m going to fix it up.”

“Okay, that is something I’ll have to see to believe,” the amber eyed girl replied. Her eyes widened comically when they landed on particular jumpsuit. “Oh my Kami! This is like a blue version of the spandex suit Kakashi’s friend wears,” Konan exclaimed holding up a dark blue fashion disaster in question.

“I have an idea for that,” Jade stated. “Wait Kakashi has a friend that wears a blue spandex suit? I thought he was one of those cool guys. Ya think ya know a guy.”

“Well it’s not blue, it’s green,” she corrected.

Jade shivered muttering something about freaks from a different dimension. "Because that makes it so much better."

The two girls continued their search, finding things they thought would make perfect costumes for themselves and their friends. Konan had found a short sleeved purple dress. It started off purple then faded to white under the bust, and then lightly darkened to a solid purple again. Jade found a pair of red men's skinny jeans, and a tuxedo jacket hidden amongst pinstriped suit jackets.

After a bit of intense searching they found the bottom half to the tuxedo, and various belts. They also found the top half to an old marching band uniform. Konan had found a short black pencil skirt and a black corset with a black ribbon tie up. Jade had found two white dresses. One was an off the shoulders peasant dress that stopped at the ankles, and the other was a white baby doll dress. The two also found a pair of black slacks, a golden puffy yellow ball gown that resembled a pastry, a red vest with black lining, and some random armor from an old production were just to name a few things.

Once the two had paid for their items, which was not that expensive, they headed to an arts and crafts store. Going to the back where all the fabrics were located, they began their search again. They got some red spandex material, red velvet material, shimmery gold tinted material, and some black material. They also got two types of see-through material, one in white and the other with a black rose design.

When they were done there the two went to a costume jewelry store. That was the quickest stop they had during the day. They picked some gold and silver pieces of jewelry, and some additional props to make the costumes complete.

Jade and Konan left the mall at ten minutes to closing. The girls had a good day shopping.

“Hey guys, we’re home,” Jade yelled as she walked into the loft. Konan just shook her head.

“What’s with all the bags? Did you two go on a shopping spree,” Ren asked from the kitchen.

“Something like that,” Jade said in passing as she and Konan walked to her room. Everyone just shrugged.

“You all disappoint me,” Ren hissed at Itachi, Sasuke, Naruto, Nagato, and Deidara. In a moment of boredom, Ren decided to teach the guys how to bake cookies, and it did not go so well. The first batch looked good, but tasted horrid. The second batch looked horrid, and tasted good. The third batch was completely burnt, and the fourth was undercooked, not to mention they had been getting the ingredients wrong.

“What smells burnt? I could smell it all the way from the middle of the forest,” Kakashi stated as he walked into the loft after Kim, getting back late from training. The guys standing behind Ren hung their heads in shame. They were ninja and could do the impossible, but they could not make a decent batch of cookies.

“I’m making ramen, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto yelled as he walked over to the cabinets.

“Dobe, you ate the last of it this morning,” Sasuke intoned. Naruto just stuck his tongue out at him.

“I know that, Teme! I’m going to make it homemade, dattebayo!”

“I want a bowl,” Kakashi, Sakura, and Hinata said simultaneously. The others all raised a brow.

“N-Naruto-kun makes a-a-amazing homemade ramen,” Hinata stated blushing while she twiddled her pointer fingers together, Kakashi and Sakura nodding in agreement.

“Awww! Guys! It’s not as good as the old man’s,” Naruto said blushing slightly at the compliments, and sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“This I have to taste to believe,” Sasuke stated, crossing his arms and watching his former teammate get to work.

Naruto ended up making dinner for everyone that night. The others were impressed with his ramen making skills. Most only thought he could only make instant ramen, and not homemade.

“So Teme did you like my cooking,” Naruto asked with a foxy grin on his face, shamelessly fishing for compliments.

“Hn,” was Sasuke’s only reply. The blond haired boy jumped up and hugged his best friend/rival in glee. He knew it was Sasuke speak for it was good, that and the fact that he had gone back for thirds.


	24. Party Prepping

“Kakashi,” a soft feminine voice broke through the silence. “Wake up. Kakashi wake up,” the voice continued. The girl stood back up sighing and crossing her arms. She looked out the window to see the moon still situated in the center of the night sky.

Looking down she glared at the sleeping man. He was lying on his back sprawled out on the sofa in the living room, his book lying open on his mask covered face. The other occupants that shared a room with him had kicked him out, yet again, for excessive giggling. In the end, the man had fallen to sleep in the living room.

The girl was beginning to grow impatient. She had been trying to wake him up for the past fifteen minutes. It seemed as if everything she tried failed in a way. She had tried shaking him, and yelling. Standing pack for a bit she tried to think up a way to wake him up. Coming up with an idea she turned her back to face him, and jumped up. Landing on his stomach, she checked to see if he was awake. He was not.

Groaning in frustration as she turned on his stomach to face him, straddling his hips. She slumped down on his chest, resting her head on his shoulder. She was at a loss. How could he still be sleeping after all she had been doing? It was a mystery to her. She slowly lifted the book off his face and placed it on the coffee table. Staring at his sleeping face, she decided on a new method. Her hands hovered over his face for a few seconds before she pinched his nose and covered his mouth with the other, cutting off his air supply.

Kakashi’s hands jerked up and removed the smaller ones from his face. When he opened his eye, he was met with a glare.

“Care to tell me why you were trying to smother me in my sleep,” he asked curiously. The amusement plain as day in his voice. Her glare hardened. “Kim?”

She sighed and let her arms go limp, her head falling back on his shoulder.

“I wanted to know if we could start training a little early today,” she asked into his neck, her breath tickling the sensitive skin.

“Are you expecting to start training now,” he pondered, fighting back the uncontrollable urge to shiver. Instead he shifted her lower on his body, pushing her to his side that was pressed against the sofa and letting her rest her head on his chest. When he felt rather than saw her nod, he asked, “Why?”

“Today's Jade’s birthday and I wanted to do something for her. Like take her to that haunted house. Before that I need to do a bit of shopping for the party me and one of her coworkers are planning,” Kim explained.

“The whole world celebrates Jade’s birthday?”

“No dumbass! It’s Halloween. The whole world celebrates Halloween today which so happens to be the day Jade was born. Hey,” she exclaimed slapping Kakashi on the chest. “You can help me with the party shopping!”

“Where is this party even going to be at?” When she made a move to smack him again, his left hand shot out and caught her by the wrist before pinning it down on his chest.

“Her coworker Joey is going to be renting this huge old mansion for the party. It’s really expensive, so I told him I would take care of decorations and food. Please will you help me? Please,” she pleaded. Her eyes were wide and her lower lip was jutted out.

“I’ll help you! Now will you stop with the face,” Kakashi said exasperated. “What time is it?”

"Almost two," she smiled at him cutely.

"You want to start training at two in the morning?" He paused to look at her for confirmation. "It wouldn't hurt to skip training for one day. Just don't make a habit of it." When he looked down at her face, he saw that she had fallen asleep. He supposed the right thing to do would be to take her back to her room. Only, when he tired to place her down on the bed, she pulled him down with her. Not even bothering to undo her death grip, he laid down beside her. He'd better take his own advice.

***

“Good morning everyone,” Jade shouted joyfully as she walked into the kitchen.

“Happy Birthday,” Kim shouted running up to her best friend to give her a hug. The others did the same though a few of the guys gave her pats on the head. Jade was beaming with happiness. Today she was officially an adult.

“Chocolate chip pancakes for the birthday girl,” Ren said as he placed a plate in front of her. He gave her a hug. “You kids grow up so fast,” he cried squeezing Jade, rocking her side to side.

“You still have me, and I’m your daughter,” Kim said indignantly.

“I don’t like you very much,” Ren stated.

“What why?”

“You refuse to give me grandchildren,” was his answer. Jade laughed around her mouthful of pancakes. Deidara patted Kim on the head in a soothing gesture.

“Before you decide to get dressed, Konan and I have something to give you all,” Jade said shoving the last piece of her pancakes into her mouth. She, along with Konan, ran up the stairs to her room. When they returned they had ten shopping bags between them.

“A few days ago we went to the mall to find things to make costumes,” Konan started.

“This year I decided not to buy one, and make one instead,” Jade added.

“We were inspired by the movies we had watched during our marathon-”

“So we went to the mall to find things we could use-”

“And we've been working on them ever since-”

“So here,” Jade finished as they handed out the bags, which were labeled. “We decided to do couples costumes, so no one feels weird or out of place,” she lied.

“Awesome I have a skirt, dattebayo!”

“Yeah, I made your costume to look exactly like Hercules” Jade explained.

“I’m a god, ‘ttebayo! Beat that Sasuke-teme,” Naruto shouted challenging the dark haired boy.

“Don’t call yourself a god,” Konan commanded.

“Why not,” the blond boy questioned.

“Then you will start sounding like Lord Pein in the Ass over here,” she answered pointing over to where Nagato was standing.

The redhead gave his childhood best friend an offended look. The two blondes in the room started laughing at his expense.

“I’m Superman,” Sasuke said, answering Naruto’s previously asked question, and pulling the suit out of the bag. Naruto cried.

“Yeah, and Sakura is Lois Lane, and Hinata is Meg,” Konan explained. Sasuke smirked to himself. “Kim and Kakashi are pirates, Itachi and Hana are the Beast and Belle, Nagato is a devil, and Deidara is Mickey Mouse. I’m an angel and Jade is Minnie Mouse. Oh, and Ren is a sexy fire fighter.” Kim gagged at the last one, though Jade and Konan made eyes at her father.

“Yes, now everyone go get dressed! I want to see how everyone looks,” Jade commanded. “Ladies come with us.”

The girls were all led to Kim’s room, as it was the biggest which was only because she had less clutter. Once the door was closed and locked Jade got started on everyone’s hair and makeup. After that she had to fight with Kim to get her costume on, but she gave in when Jade pulled the birthday card.

“I can’t believe you convinced me to go without a bra,” Kim grumbled as they made their way back to the front room.

When they were all in the front room Jade made them all stand next to their partners. She wanted to get a good look at her handy work.

Hana was Belle and wore a shortened version of Belle’s dress from Beauty and the Beast. Jade had tailored it to go about knee length, and she added a white petticoat underneath to make it puff out more. She wore a pair of yellow rounded toe heels. Her hair was done up just like in the movie.

Itachi was the human version of Beast. He had on a white silk button-up shirt, the bottom half of the tuxedo with a shiny yellow waist coat. Jade had sewed on yellow stripes on the sides of his pant legs. The marching band jacket was styled to look like it did in the movie. He wore a pair of black boots, and held a red plastic rose as a prop.

Konan was an Angel. She wore a white baby doll dress that had a silver ribbon criss-crossed over her midsection. A layer of sheer see-through fabric had been added over the lower half of the dress. She had worn white arm bands that had some more of the sheer fabric forming sleeves. She also had short rounded angel wings, a fluffy halo hovering above her head, and a pair of white rounded toe heels.

Nagato was the Devil. He wore a black silk button-up shirt under a red vest that had a layer of black rose patterned lace over it. He had on a pair of black slacks. He also had a red velvet cape. There were red-black devil horns on his head. For shoes he wore a pair of solid black Converse, and he had a red pitch fork.

Jade was Minnie Mouse. She had cut the sleeves off the red dress with large white polka dots and made them short and puffy, and cut the length to about mid-thigh. She added a black petticoat underneath to make it poof out, sewed a black ribbon around the collar and added a bow in the middle. Her accessories consisted of and black belt, black mouse ears, and a red bow with white polka dots.

Deidara was Mickey Mouse. He had on red skinny jeans with yellow suspenders, a white button-up shirt with black buttons, and a black tuxedo jacket. He also wore black mouse ears and a pair of dark yellow Converse.

Sakura was Lois Lane. She wore a high-waisted pencil skirt that ended about mid-thigh, Jade sure had a thing for making things mid-thigh, and a magenta short sleeved button up shirt with her bra peeking out. Konan had forced her into a black lace push-up bra. Her hair was parted to the right, and she wore a pair of black pumps.

Sasuke was Superman. He wore a modified version of the dark blue spandex suit. The suit had the red and yellow S-shield on the chest, and the signature red undies with the dark yellow belt. He had a red cape and matching red boots. He looked very much like the Superman from Superman Returns.

Hinata was Meg. She wore the floor length purple dress that faded from purple to white then back to purple. Jade had decided the dress needed a little something extra and had cut a slit that ended at mid-thigh. On the straps were three gold chains going across. Under her bust was a golden ribbon, and she also had one tied up in her hair as a headband. She had a golden band on her left arm. Her shoes were gold colored sandals that had gold ribbons criss-crossing up her leg.

Naruto was Hercules. His costume was an exact replica of the one seen in the animated Disney movie. The boy had styled his hair in a way that left him with a curl hanging over the headband he wore. The straps of the gladiator sandals would take some getting used too. Jade and Konan had forgotten about the little blue cape the hero wore and scrambled to find something that would work.

Kim was a Sexy Pirate. She wore the peasant dress that hung off the shoulders that was cut to fall slightly past mid-thigh, sand had been forced into a black corset that went under her bust, and she was not wearing a bra; which made her a bit peeved. She had a black pirate hat with a white feather stuck in it, and wore black pointed toe heels.

Kakashi was a Pirate. He wore an off-white puffy pirate shirt that was cut into a V-neck that had white strings criss-crossing over his black sleeveless shirt with the mask, a pair of black pants, and a pair of black boots. He had a black belt with a square buckle around his waist. He also wore an eye patch over his closed Sharingan eyes.

“Wow! Everyone looks amazing,” Jade squealed when she had gotten a good look at everyone. “To bad it’s time to go to work already.”

“Nee-san, since you don’t have work today, can you bring us lunch,” Sasuke asked.

“Is the school food that bad,” Kim questioned, looking towards the other three high schoolers.

“Yes,” Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasuke answered at the exact same time.

“Okay then… What do you guys want?”

“Something with tomatoes,” Sasuke said shrugging, not really caring as long as he wasn't forced to eat what the school tried to feed them.

“Really now… Alright, just write down what y’all want on a piece of paper, and the time lunch starts,” she instructed. The four teens did as instructed, and were out the door and on their way to school.

Soon the only ones left in the loft were Kim and Kakashi.


	25. Someone Should Fix That

“I still don’t understand why we had to get all this stuff… Okay I get that we need it, but why did we have to buy, can this even be considered bulk,” Kakashi complained for the tenth time that morning. "We're in America and from all the memes I've seen, American potions are abnormally large."

The white haired Jonin’s arms were filled with large bags of groceries from their early morning shopping trip, the reusable canvas bags stuffed to the brim. Normally he wouldn’t complain, but the large bags of flour and sugar were weighing him down.

“So much for being a super strong Jonin,” Kim commented sarcastically, rolling her eyes. “Just a few more steps and you can put everything down in the kitchen, you big baby.” Kakashi glared at her for her last comment, which she ignored and opened the door to the loft.

The two walked in and set the bags down on the dining table. Quickly, they began sorting through the bags and had arranged everything on the table, and placed the things that needed to be kept cold in the refrigerator. Once done with that task, Kakashi walked over to the sofa, got comfortable and pulled out his favorite book: Icha Icha Paradise.

“Did you guys get everything,” Ren asked as he walked through the front door. He had seen the two pull up in his truck, but had decided the motor he was working on could use another look over when he caught sight of all the bags his daughter had loaded on to the Hatake's arms.

“Yeah,” Kim answered, not once taking her eyes off the arranged items before her. “What time is it?”

“Almost 9:30. Why,” Ren asked.

“The guys wanted me to take them lunch to school today,” was her reply. “So I have about two hours until I have to leave.”

“Alright, I need the both of you to help me out here,” Ren said, picking up the bags of flour and sugar and then taking them to the kitchen counter. The he went back for the vanilla extract, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and butter. He took out three purple mixing bowls out from the cabinet, and got out the measuring cup and measuring spoons. “I’ll bake everything, but I’m going to need the two of you to decorate them. Daughter you know the drill, and don’t forget that you need to start on making the food. Kakashi you help her,” he ordered, sending a pointed glance in the lounging man's direction.

Soon they were all hard at work. Kakashi had to take off his white pirate shirt, not wanting to get it dirty, and into a pair of army green sweatpants. Kim went to go change into an orange t-shirt and a pair of short black shorts. All they could hear was the pitter-patter of Kim’s bare feet, as she would run back and forth to get something she forgot. She had slipped a few times, and one time she tripped and hit the closed oven door face first. Ren ignored it, and Kakashi muttered something that sounded like ‘weirdo’ when she stood back up rubbing her nose.

“Does Jade even know about the party,” Kakashi asked at random, while mixing together rice cereal andmelted butter and marshmallows in a bowl with his hands after he had gotten frustrated at the lack of progress he made with the spoon. He lifted them up only to find them covered in sticky mixture. He was about to stick a finger in his mouth, when Ren came up behind him and smacked him on the head telling him ‘no’.

“She doesn’t. It’s supposed to be a surprise party. I made Deidara spend the entire day with her, while we did prepared everything,” Kim explained. “He thinks he got off light, by not having to cook or decorate, but the truth is he got the hardest job. He has to keep her away from it all until tonight, and knowing Jade well…" She gave a shrug. "You get the point.”

A timer went off and Kim jumped to her feet, leaving the bowl of cookie dough on the counter, and walked over to the oven. She grabbed the oven-mitts out of a drawer and slipped them on. She opened the oven and pulled out a cookie sheet.

“What are those,” Ren asked. “I thought you were baking cookies.”

“Yeah, I am, but it’s already eleven-something and I got hungry. So I made pigs in a blanket. Want some,” she offered, brandishing the pan covered in little pork sausages wrapped in pastry dough. Grabbing a plate and a spatula she put her little creations on a plate to cool. Picking a few off the plate, she said, “I guess I better go and get the brats their lunch.”

She walked back to her room to put her costume back on, though she opted to leave the black shorts on. Quickly walking out of her room then out the front door, grabbing her father’s truck keys on the way, she made her way to the big white truck. Hooping in, she started it, and drove off. She had no clue what to get them for lunch. They had all asked for different unspecific things. In the end, after a bit of driving around, she decided to get them all Subway.

After paying the girl, she made her way to the High School. It was 12:10 when she arrived. She found a parking space near the front, got down. She walked to the front office. She had hoped that they would just call them in to pick up their food, but no. They made her deliver it to them. So she signed in as a visitor and made her way to the cafeteria, after getting directions.

As she made her way to where the cafeteria was, she saw a bunch of brightly colored teens. They were wearing all sorts of costumes. A lot of the girl’s costumes put her dress to shame on the shortness scale.  Some of the guys sent wolf whistles and catcalls in her direction, which she ignored. On her way, she had created her own little fan club. Her fan boys followed her everywhere she went. They sighed and got little hearts in their eyes every time she spoke to tell them to go away.

Finally reaching the cafeteria, she quickly scanned the sea of costumed teens. With quite a few of them wearing brightly colored wigs she had some trouble locating the ones she was looking for. She felt awkward just standing there being stared and glared at. Guys were staring at her with adoration, and girls were glaring at her with malice.

“I’ll take that,” a voice said from her right. Soon the tray of drinks she was carrying disappeared. Turning to face the voice, she threw her arms around its owner once she saw who it was.

“Sasu-cakes, do you know how many people I’ve seen dressed as Superman since I’ve gotten here,” she said whined. "But none of them had the duck-but hair."

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her, and led her over to where the others were sitting. As they were walking the glares from the female population of the school grew fiercer, while some of the guys were sending glares towards Sasuke. When they got to the table she set the four plastic bags down in the center.

“Kimi-chan,” Naruto shouted, giving her a hug before she could even take a seat. “You smell good. Like cake and other sweet things, dattebayo!”

“Well I have been baking all morning,” she said, pushing back into his seat.

“Baking? For what,” Sakura asked from across from her.

“Jade’s birthday party is tonight,” she informed them, giving them a complete rundown of the morning's events including the other things that needed to be done before the start of the party. “It starts at eight.”

“We can’t g-go. It’s a s-school night,” Hinata shyly inputted, staring sadly down at her half-eaten sandwich.

“Yes we can-“ Naruto started but was cut off by Sasuke when he said, “Dobe, if we go then we will be too tired to focus in class."

“That is true. You four can’t go because you all have school tomorrow,” Kim agreed, falling into her thinking pose. Naruto and Sakura were about to protest when she continued. “But... it would be very unfortunate if the school started having maintenance problems, like the toilets backing up from being stuffed with too much toilet paper, something rotting in the vents, or perhaps a flood. Then school would be cancelled tomorrow." She took in the looks the four were giving her, then lamented, "hypothetically speaking of course. If something like that were to happen in the next, oh I don’t know, fifteen minutes then I could take you all back home before your next classes,” she said nonchalantly, giving them all a wink at the end.

“I suddenly have to use the restroom, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto announced, taking the last bite of his sandwich. His stood up and made his way out of the cafeteria.

“Wait did Naruto just understand what you implied,” Sakura asked, awed at the thought, the others sharing her sentiments. Though Hinata loved the blond haired loudmouth, she knew he could be a bit dense at times. From all the time Sasuke had spent with his self-proclaimed best friend, he knew that it took a bit of explaining to get the point across.

“What did I imply,” Kim asked in feigned confusion, looking the picture of innocence as she reached over and stole Sasuke’s bag of chips. He glared at her. “I asked for extra tomatoes.” He inspected his lunch and nodded in approval. The three girls rolled their eyes.

“Hey guys I’m back,” Naruto shouted plopping down in his seat. He held up five fingers and slowly brought them down one at a time. When he reached zero a horrid smell reached all of their noses, and there was a loud explosion.

“Dobe what did you do,” Sasuke questioned with wide eyes.

“All I did was use the bathroom,” Naruto said innocently, returning Kim's high-five.

All of a sudden a random girl shrieked and jumped on top of Sasuke. She shot a glare at Kim, and started to snuggle into Sasuke’s chest. He tried to pull her off of him, but the girl would not budge. Every time he did try to remove her, her arms would just tighten their hold on him.

“Sasuke you smell so good, like cake and cookies,” the girl said in her best flirty voice.

“Um… that would be me,” Kim informed her. “I was baking before I came here.”

“No one asked you. Why are you even hanging around my Sasuke? It’s only okay for the weird chick because she’s so in love with that loud guy, and Pinkie is beyond ugly.”

Sasuke clenched his jaw, his eyebrow involuntarily twitching. Naruto and Hinata both got deadly quiet. Sakura was silently fuming. She only tolerated one person calling her ugly, and he was in an entirely different dimension. Then there was the fact that she hated being called Pinkie. Kim was confused. What exactly did the other girl mean by ‘her Sasuke’? She remembered quite clearly that he had his sights set on that ‘Ugly Pinkie’.

They, aside from the brunette on Sasuke’s lap, could feel the tension rising in the air. It was so thick that they could take kunai to it and cut a slice. Kim and Sakura jumped up slamming their hands down on the table at the same time, and then started shouting.

“What the hell do you mean by ugly?!”

“What the fuck do you mean by ‘your Sasuke’?!

“Who the hell dyes their hair that shade of pink? Not to mention that is the flattest chest I have ever seen! Though you do make up for it with that giant forehead of yours,” the brunette mocked, getting to her feet. Then she looked down at Kim. “Why would my Sasuke want to go out with a fat midget like you? I’m pretty sure your breasts are fake. Then again they could be your fat."

“This is my natural hair color, and my forehead isn’t that big,” Sakura yelled in her face.

“So what if I’m short and fat! I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks,” Kim shouted, sanding up and slamming her hands on the table.

By then everyone in the cafeteria had stopped what they were doing, and turned their attention to face the three arguing girls. The other three that were still seated at the table watched on with interest. Sasuke was getting angry. Naruto looked like he was about to jump up and do something, though he did not know what. Hinata was quietly watching the scene before her, and stealthily recording the scene.

“Wait,” Kim said suddenly, causing everyone to look in her direction. “How old are you,” she asked at random. They were all confused by her questioned, but they paid more attention wanting to find out where she was going with it.

“Eighteen,” she answered. “I’m all the woman that he will ever need,” she finished with a triumphant smile on her face.

“Like hell I’d let my baby brother date someone two years older than him. You cochina marana! Oh and since you’re eighteen…” She looked around the cafeteria, when she was satisfied that there were no faculty memebers around, she swiftly punched her in the face. “Hit me back and go to jail for hitting a minor.” She smirked, and sent a kiss in her direction. The girl was sitting on the floor clutching her nose. “There’s going to be a party at Stonewall Mansion tonight, be sure to come,” she announced to the entire room. As an afterthought she added, “Sixteen and up only!” That last comment caused all the fourteen and fifteen year olds to shout in protest.

All of a sudden a few girls started screaming. Some had even jumped up to stand on top of the tables. The unnamed brunette clambered up to her feet, shouting something about her butt getting wet.

“Aren’t you a little too old to be wetting your pants,” Naruto asked in his naturally loud voice. The girl was about to slap the blond when a small hand stopped her. That hand belonged to the shy Hyuga heiress. She ripped her arm from Hinata’s grasp and stomped away.

“W-w-why is she wet,” the shy girl pondered out loud. They all stopped to think, and as one they all looked down to the floor for the first time, seeing about a centimeter of water.

“Heh heh, I guess I forgot about that,” Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

“Attention students, due to a few maintenance issues were are declaring immediate early release. If you get picked up, please call whomever it is that does so, and if you ride the bus home, they will be arriving shortly. Also due to the severity of the situation school will be cancelled for the remainder of the week. Have a Happy Halloween,” the voice from the intercom said pleasantly.

“TO THE TRUCK,” Naruto shouted. He threw an arm around Hinata’s shoulder and led her out of the school. The poor girl turned a deep red, but surprisingly did not faint.

“I guess we should head out too. I mean they won’t get anywhere without me since I have the keys,” Kim said, dangling said keys.

Sasuke held out an arm for her and the other for Sakura. The two girls thought what the heck, and linked arms with him, and walked out of the school. Sasuke shot a smirk at all the jealous fanboys and girls. Kim noticed and rolled her eyes in amusement. Sakura was blushing at the physical contact that Sasuke had instigated.


	26. Cooking, Baking, and Decorating

"Where are we going," Sasuke asked from the backseat of the truck. He had gotten in an argument with Naruto about who would get to sit in the front with Kim. Kim had gotten frustrated and ended up pulling Hinata from the backseat to sit in the front. Sakura had to sit between the two boys. Whenever they tried to hit each other she would threaten them, and they would stop.

"I want a smoothie, so we're going to this juice bar I like," she responded. "You guys want one? Hinata can you text my dad or Kakashi to ask if they want one?" Hinata texted Ren, and the others took time to think about what they wanted. They soon arrived at the drive-through window. After asking what they all wanted, Kim ordered their drinks.

"You know, I can't believe that you and Naruto both fell down the stairs," Sakura told Kim as they were walking up the stairs to the loft.

"She tripped me, 'ttebayo," Naruto shouted pointing an accusing finger at the ebony haired girl.

"What the hell! You tripped me." Kim was glaring at the blond.

"And I can't believe the Dobe understood something without someone having to explain it to him ten times," Sasuke added.

"Who are you calling a Dobe, Teme?!"

"Tch, Dobe."

"Teme!"

"Dobe!"

"Well I think they're home," Kakashi said to Ren when he heard the heated argument at the door.

"Whatever you say Pretty Boy," Ren said nonchalantly as he placed another pan of cupcakes into the oven, and took one out. Kakashi glared at the back of the man's head. A little bit after Kim had left, Kakashi decided he to eat the sticky treat from his fingers when the other man turned his back. When Ren had seen his face, and ever since then Ren had been making not so subtle comments on his appearance.

"Hey guys! We're back," Kim announced as she walked through the front door. She held out the cup holder for her father and Kakashi to take their drinks.

"Why are my cute little students back," Kakashi asked, eyeing the three and the Hyuga.

"They're not the only thing that's cute," Ren muttered with glee. Kim gave the white haired man a look, to which he just shook his head.

"The school ran into a few maintenance problems." She waved it off like it was nothing. "I thought you would be done with those by now," she said gesturing to the rice crispy treats. He made a face. She held her hands up in surrender, backing off.

"Hey you four, don't just stand there come over here and help," Ren ordered. "Start making the mini pizzas. As many as you can make. You guys can use the second oven." He instructed them to take the chilled pizza dough out of the refrigerator, how to make the sauce, prep the toppings, and to grate the cheese. The four had just gathered the things that they needed when they were interrupted by Kim as she walked back into the kitchen.

"Wait change out of your costumes before you start. That way you won't get them dirty," she explained. She pointed to herself, Kakashi and Ren as an example. She was back to wearing her orange t-shirt and black shorts. Kakashi was only in his tight black sleeveless shirt with the mask and a pair of army green sweats. Ren was in a blue t-shirt and jeans.

The four did as told and changed into their gym clothes. Naruto wore a pair of black basketball shorts and an orange t-shirt. Sasuke too wore black basketball shorts and a purple t-shirt. Hinata wore a pair of gray yoga pants and a blue tank. Sakura had on a pair of black shorts and a red camisole. After they had changed they all got to work.

Naruto took the premade dough, separated it into workable pieces, and started to roll them out. Sasuke got to work on making the sauce, looking back to the recipe card every so often. Hinata grated the cheese into a bowl and got to work on prepping the toppings; onions, green peppers, mushrooms, pepperoni, and so on. Once the dough had been rolled out Sakura took the large ghost, pumpkin, witch hat, and cat cookie cutters, and cut the dough.

"What is that supposed to be," Kim asked, staring at the cupcake in Kakashi's hand.

"It's a monster," he replied.

"No it's not. It looks like a fuzz ball... With eyes... Like a furry green animal. That is not scary. Who would it even scare?"

"It's pretty scary."

"No it's not."

"Just imagine seeing this under your bed every night. It would scare you."

"It was under your bed, wasn't it?"

"... No." Kakashi would forever try to suppress the memory of the time he found Maito Gai hidden underneath his bed. The man, then boy, had jumped out at him after a particularly grueling mission. After that, he had found it wise to move out of his old family home and into the ANBU barracks for a short period of time.

"Right," Kim said dragging out the word. "Are you sure it wasn't just a fuzzy toy you forgot about?"

"Don't worry Hot Stuff, I'll protect you," Ren whispered into Kakashi's ear while rubbing his cheek over his mask. He grabbed his butt and winked before walking over to check on the cupcakes.

"Ha ha Kakashi-Sensei! I think I'm jealous, dattebayo," Naruto shouted laughing.

"Wait, I thought Naruto and Sasuke were in love," Kim asked. "Didn't you guys kiss twice already?"

"What!" They all turned to see Nagato, Itachi, Hana, and Konan walking through the door. Nagato and Itachi were the ones that shouted. Hana had heard about them kissing one time, thanks to her little brother. Konan just watched on wide-eyed in disbelief.

"That's right! The first time was in front of everyone at the Academy, and then the second time was when we were on a mission. They got conjoined by the hands, and had to do everything together for three days straight. Although they did have amazing teamwork for those three days," Sakura explained, her mind wandering back to those days.

"They were both accidents, dattebayo! The first time someone pushed me, and the second was because we tried to get rid of that sticky stuff! That stuff was like a bungee cord, 'ttebayo!"

"Why is it always you," Sasuke grumbled in Naruto's direction.

"It's a love triangle," Hinata stated, a look of realization etched onto her face. "Naruto-kun was jealous when Sasuke spent so much time with Kakashi-sensei. When Sasuke left, and Naruto-kun returned to the village, he started to spend a lot of time with Kakashi-sensei... But Kakashi and Naruto-kun tried everything they could to bring him back... so maybe it was a threesome."

"Exactly," Sakura exclaimed wearing a bright smile of understanding. "Because of all the fighting Sasuke thought that Naruto and Sensei were turning against him, so he left. Then they started to feel bad about what they did, so they wanted to bring him back home to apologize. I get it know! Thanks Kakashi-sensei! We just have to look underneath the underneath."

"That's not what I meant," Kakashi shouted indigently at the same time Naruto and Sasuke started shouting at the girls. Itachi was glaring a hole in Kakashi's head. Soon they were all arguing with each other. Hana and Kim were cracking up. Konan just stood back and watch the scene before her, and Nagato was lecturing Naruto.

"Get back to work," Ren ordered with the stern voice of a commander. "Konan! Stop eating the frosting! The ones, who aren't doing anything, get to work on something! Itachi start carving pumpkins, and when you finish that wash the seeds, soak and salt them, put them on a cookie sheet, and then into the oven. Konan make chocolate covered strawberries and make them look like ghosts. Nagato make chocolate and caramel covered apples. Use the hot plates to melt the candy, and make them look pretty. Hana you get to make spiders out of Oreos. Use the red or black licorice for the legs, and M&Ms for the eyes," he ordered them all.

"Why does Hana get to make cute spiders," Nagato asked indignantly, a pout on his face.

"Because she's my favorite right now," was Ren's answer.

"My cats," Kim shouted when she heard the oven timer beep. They all gave her strange looks. "They're chocolate cookies. What the hell did you guys think? That I put cats in the oven?"

Itachi, Hana, Nagato, and Konan, who were on their lunch breaks, called in to work saying there had been a family emergency.

In a few hours, everything was finished and ready to go.

Kakashi made about five dozen of his green fuzzy monster cupcakes along with five dozen of the monsters in pink, blue and purple, five dozen skeletons, and five dozen mummy heads. Kim had used orange frosting for her cupcakes. She had put a decorated black cat cookie on top of half her ten dozen, and the other half she put a, as she liked to call it, bitch hat. In total there were forty dozen, four hundred and eighty, cupcakes packed away.

When they had finished making the mini pizzas, Naruto and Hinata got to work making brownies, using white chocolate to draw spiderweb designs. Sasuke was instructed to make guacamole to go with the blue corn tortilla chips and once done with that, he worked to prepare a vegetable tray to help balance out the sweetness. Sakura started on mixing the ingredients need for the cheese ball, he ended up molding into the shape of a brain, and sliced and toasted the baguette to go with it. Ren had made deviled eggs to look like monster eyes. Itachi was lucky that he had changed out of his costume since he was covered in pumpkin guts, though he did manage to make quite a bit of pumpkin seeds. Konan finished and packed away her strawberry ghosts. Nagato's apples looked to pretty to eat and Hana's spiders were too cute for words. All that was left was the drinks and the birthday cake, which was still in the process of cooling.

When the three round cakes were finally cooled, Kim got to decorating. She trimmed the edges and the tops, and the she sliced them into three layers each. Placing one layer of the yellow cake onto the rotating cake stand, she started to add a layer of chocolate ganache filling. She did that until she had all three layers of the first tier frosted. She covered the cake in light purple colored fondant. Removing that cake from the stand she repeated the process with the other two cakes. When they were all covered in fondant with the sides smoothed out, she stated to layer them on top of each other. When she put the first cake down she put three cake dowels down around. the center, to help support and hold the cakes in place, and then she placed second cake over it, repeating the process and ending when she put the final cake on top.

She mixed a batch of black icing, and put it in a piping bag. Taking the piping bag, she made little beads around the creases of the cake. After that she started to make spider webs all over. When she was done with that she got another piping bag filled with purple frosting. She added a few dark purple spiders, some edible glitter and she was done.

They all took a moment while they admired her work.

"What are we going to do about the drinks," Kakashi asked, remembering the only thing they hadn't gotten done.

"Leave that to me," Kim said as she got out four small sized bowls. She set them on the counter, and went in search of the things she needed. In one bowl she mixed up pineapple juice, limeade, and ginger ale. The second, she mixed water, sugar, lime flavored Jell-O mix, pineapple juice, orange juice, lemon juice, and Sprite. In the third, she mixed blue Jell-O and sparkling lemonade. Then in the fourth, she mixed cherry Jell-O and Sprite. "Now taste and tell me which one you like best," she commanded.

They all tried Kim's concoctions a bit warily. After they all had a taste they couldn't decide between the first, third, and fourth.

"So I guess we'll just have three different types of punch," Ren stated. They all agreed on that.

"Brew Ha-ha Punch, Blue Slime, and Transylvania Punch it is!" Kim got to work on making her creations on a much larger scale. She filled up three large jugs with spouts and placed them in the fridge. Then she grabbed something out of a cabinet.

"We are not spiking the punch, daughter," Ren stated. "You invited a bunch of High School kids, and I do not want to be held responsible for their actions."

"This," she said holding up the bottle vodka, "... is not for them. It's for me." Then she took a drink. Ren tried to get the bottle away from her before she became drunk.

"I miss Baa-chan, dattebayo," Naruto cried. Sakura had to agree with him there.

"Now we need to go and decorate the mansion," Hana stated.

***

A ways away from the city, the old mansion stood tall and proud behind a wrought iron gate, with the initials S.M. on them. The initials stood for Stonewall Manor. Leading up to the mansion was a long driveway that rounded off at the front of the mansion, with a large water fountain in the center. There was a single flight of stairs that led up to the building.

The mansion had an overall dark and creepy aura surrounding it, even in broad daylight. The building was styled after the Elizibithian Era. It was a two story building with an attic and cellar rooms and a flat roof. The entire manor was made of taupe stone that was darkened due to the past fires. The rose bushes lining the front of the mansion were dried up and thorny, the grass was high and brown, and the trees littered the grounds were bare. Behind the manor was a pathway that lead to the woods, adding to the whole haunting aura.

The group got out of the truck, some having had to sit in the tailgate because there had been no more room inside the cab. They got a good look at the mansion. The sunshine haired boy and the ebony haired girl were shaking in fear. There was something about the place that didn't sit well with them. They swore they had seen something in one of the attic windows. The others told them to stop being scared, and that it was all in their heads.

They got all of the boxes filled with the party decorations down from the truck. Soon they were all at work decorating the outside out the mansion. Since they had only two more hours of sunlight, they had chosen to decorate the outside first because they wouldn't be able to see very much when it got darker, and they did not want anyone to get lost in the dark.

The inside of the mansion was spacious and dusty. In the center above them was crystal chandelier. There were two grand marble staircases on either side of the room leading up to the second floor. Between the staircases was a set of enormous white wood doors, that led to the grand ballroom.

The ballroom was huge. It was about the same size as a High School auditorium minus all the seats and stage. The white marble floors were covered in a thick layer of dust, and there were cobwebs all along the ceiling. In the center of the ceiling was another crystal chandelier. The back wall was made of floor to ceiling windows. There were French doors that led to the back yard.

The back yard area was vast. Like the loft, it was lined by the woods. There was another fountain, and a large in ground swimming pool, a recent addition. They were both dried out and covered in weeds among other things.

"I guess we should just jump in and start cleaning," Hana suggested.

They all got rakes, brooms, buckets, and mops. Kim saw some of the ninja walking on the walls, and gave Kakashi a pleading look. When he told her no, she made her eyes grow large and watery. After she explained to him that her father could do it, he finally relented. After a few tries on the trees outside she got the hang of it, though when she lost her concentration for even a second, she would fall. She had yet to learn to multitask.

Soon the marble floors were sparkling, the pool was cleaned and filled, the fountain gushing water, and the stone deck was cleaned. They had lined up the food tables to the left of the entrance along the wall parallel to the wall of windows, and put on the black tablecloths. There were also tables around the ballroom closer to the grand entrance, and some outside as well.

Naruto and Kim had a competition to see who could blow up the most balloons though they had to stop when they almost passed out. The black, silver, and hot pink balloons littered the ballroom floor.

The guys had set up the stage on the far side of the ballroom, and speakers around the room and a couple outside. Hana had a bit too much fun with the twinkling lights. They wrapped around the trees, the stage, and around the dance floor. The was also some toilet paper in the trees to give it the spooky effect. Sakura and Hinata had bought black and white roses, which Kim cut the stems off of a few and threw them in the pool with a few floating candles.

Kim had tried to walk on the water, but because her control wasn't that great and the skill too advanced, she fell in. Itachi ended up having to help her out. When he walked out onto the water with ease, she glared at him and called him a showoff.

They finished everything five minutes before the sun was to go down at six.


	27. Trick or Treat

“Kim, why are you all wet,” was the first thing out of Jade’s mouth when Kim walked into the loft. The questioned girl just shot a glare at her best friend before stomping off to her room to take a shower. Jade then directed her attention to the others. “What happened to her?”

“She fell in the pool,” Sasuke answered as he threw himself down on the sofa, before sitting up quickly and attempting to backtrack.

“How did she manage that, un,” Deidara asked before Jade could. The blond nineteen year old directed a glare at the youngest Uchiha when he realized what the boy had meant when he said pool.

“She tried to walk on the water, but she fell in half way,” Konan explained without thinking.

“I see. So what are we going to do before my party starts,” Jade asked.

“How did you find out,” Sakura questioned.

“I’ve known about it for a week now. I figured it out when I found the present that Kim was supposed to give me today. Though Kim told me that I wouldn’t be allowed to see any of the decorations until just before the party starts,” Jade explained. “Kim can’t keep anything from me.”

“We h-have two hours till the party starts. What d-do we do t-till then,” the shy girl of the group asked.

“Let’s got Trick or Treating, dattebayo!”

“Dobe that’s for little kids.”

“What did you say Teme?!”

“Actually most High School students still go. Plus it’s really fun. You get free candy, and play pranks,” Kim said walking down the hallway towel drying her hair. She was back in her pirate costume.

“PRANKS,” Naruto shouted jumping up from his seat. “TEME, did you hear that?! We get to play pranks! I’m the Prankster King of Konoha!” The blond had taken his reluctant best friend by the front of his shirt and started shaking him. “We have to go!” Sasuke’s head was flying back and forth, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“Naruto,” Sakura growled out, stalking towards the boy.

The youngest Uchiha fell to the ground when the blond released his grip on his shirt. Naruto went to go and hide behind his cousin, fearing the wrath of the pink haired brute. When Sasuke stood up he was slightly unsteady on his feet. No one tried to help him they only laughed when he fell over or stumbled over his feet. It was a rare sight to see an Uchiha so undignified.

“Let’s go to the rich people’s neighborhood. They give out full sized candy bars there,” Jade said excitedly, already drooling over the chocolate she was sure to collect. “And don’t forget to check them for any weird things put in them. I remember the first year Kim was here she ate a bad peanut butter bar-”

“Jade,” Kim said trying to stop her from going on.

“-and had the runs for the rest of the night.”

“Jade!” Kim jumped on her so-called best friend and tackled her to the ground.

***

“These houses are huge, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted as he caught sight of all the houses.

The group, save for Ren who was taking the food over to the Mansion, was walking around the upperclass neighborhood. All the houses were two stories or more, and had iron gates. The gates were all open, with the driveways lined with elaborate decorations that led them all to the front doors. At some of the houses parties were being held, and had cars parked all along the driveway and on the side of the road.

“We’ll just go to each house one by one,” suggested Jade.

Everyone nodded in agreement. They followed the crowd of people. There were mothers and, or, fathers with their young children walking around. Pre-teens to fifteen year olds were walking in groups trying to look grown up. The older teenagers were running around playing pranks on the unsuspecting residents. Collage students were running wild like children.

“Why hello there,” a random middle-school girl said walking up to the group. Her costume consisted of what looked like lingerie, and some form of animal ears. She looked back at her little group of friends, who all gave her thumbs up and gestures of encouragement, before she focused all her attention on one member in particular. Fluttering her eyelashes in what she thought was a seductive manner, she purred, “You know if you’re the Devil, I wouldn’t mind going to Hell.”

Nagato tensed, wanting to hide. This had never happened to him. He was never the one to draw a female's attention.

The others just stood there staring with wide eyes. Some in shock at her foolishness, and others in amusement at the redhead's expense. Konan, on the other hand, was glaring daggers at the little girl. When the girl attached herself to the group’s only redhead, Konan let out what sounded like a low growl. Like something a lioness would let out when she felt threatened, or was about to pounce on her prey.

“Little kitty,” Konan said to the girl, referring to her choice of animal ears.

 “Oh, I’m not a cat. I’m a puppy,” the girl replied snidely, never taking her eyes off of Nagato.

“Well, listen here you Little Bitch,” Konan snapped, forcefully detaching the girl from the redhead’s arm. The girl glared at her and was about to reply, when she was silenced by the blue haired girls voice. “Just because I’m quiet and generally kind, does not mean I’m going to stand back and watch some little girl with no breasts or hips try and flirt with my man… And on a side note, you’re not going to Hell or even Heaven, you’re going to Purgatory.”

Everyone watched on in amazement as their normally kind friend told off the little girl. Nagato was in love. They all took one giant step away from the shy Hyuga Heiress, except for Naruto who was blissfully unaware. When the shy girl noticed that, she blushed deeply and sputtered a bit.

“Wait,” Kim said, catching everyone’s attention, along with the little girl’s and her little group of friends. “Purgatory is that place between Heaven and Hell where all the monsters go.” That little factoid caused everyone to break out into boisterous laughter, and the normally stoic ones let out a few chuckles. Kakashi just sighed.

The girl stormed over to her friends, where they gave them a group glare. The ninja group returned the glared full force making the little middle-school girls ran away screaming in fear. When they were gone, the group decided to start heading on over to the houses, ready for candy.

The first house they stopped at was pretty lame, and was lacking any decorations aside from two carved pumpkins on the porch. They felt generous and decided to help the owners get into the spirit of Halloween, by decorating a bit. Naruto pulled off the backpack he had on and opened it up to reveal rolls of toilet paper. Running as fast as they could, they ran around the house covering everything in sight in toilet paper. It hung from the tree, the roof, the gates, and covered the lawn, the bushes, and the front porch. Quickly running out to the street, they got a good look at their handiwork.

At one of the houses an old woman kept pinching Naruto and Sasuke’s cheeks. Then at another house a woman, who was throwing a fancy party, gave out bags filled with carrot and celery sticks. The future Hokage whipped out his trusty backpack, and pulled out a few cartons of eggs. There were enough eggs so everyone could get six each. How Naruto had fit all the egg cartons and rolls of toilet paper in his pack, no one knew, nor did they care.

The woman and her guests watched on in shock as eggs made impact on her sparkling clean windows. The eggs seemingly came out of nowhere. Then they all watched on in horror as words that looked to be written in blood, started to appear on the windows. The message said ‘You have disrupted the sacred tradition of candy giving with your vegetables. Now face the consequences’. The woman promptly fainted from fear.

“I think it’s time to head on over to the mansion,” Itachi stated as they all watched the ambulance drive away with the unconscious woman. He then had to drag his sister away from the grateful butler, thanking her for a most marvelous evening.

***

They arrived back at the mansion thirty minutes before the party was set to start. Standing before the gates, Kim led the birthday girl, by the hand, to the mansion. Jade took it all in as she skipped along with her best friend, silently wondering how the shorter girl didn't manage to trip along the way even as she hopped up the stairs.

The driveway was lined with Jack O’Lanterns with candles inside with a rose stuck on top and twinkling lights. The trees that followed the driveway had lights wrapped around them, and had little ghosts hanging from the branches. When they got to the front of the mansion, her eyes were wide. Pumpkins were spaced-out on every other step on the staircase on both sides. Hanging over the entrance was a large banner, courtesy of Konan, which said ‘Happy Birthday Jade’ in bold sparkly pink letters.

In the foyer there was more lights wrapped around everything. More pumpkins, black and pink streamers, and rose petals were scattered all over the floor. Her mouth dropped open when she saw the ballroom. Pink and black balloons littered the floor. Pink and black lights glowed from the chandelier. Food tables lined the wall adjacent to the entrance. On the other side tables where there guests could eat and rest were situated. There was also a table that already had a few presents placed on top of it. At the far side, directly across from the large doors, was a stage. On the stage was a DJs station, a karaoke machine and a few microphone stands. There were a few more tables outside.

Jade ran out the door and out to the backyard. She gasped in excitement. There were speakers set up on either side of the doors, that would allow the music to be heard while outside. The pool was glowing with pink and black rose heads floating around in it. All the trees had spider webs swaying softly from the branches, giving them a haunting look.

She walked back into the ballroom. Stopping at the cake she started jumping up and down in glee. Everything was perfect. They had done an amazing job at decorating the place. Not to mention that the location was fantastic. Jade loved scary movies, and for her to have her party at a haunted mansion was a dream come true.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you all so much,” she shouted jumping up and down.

“You’re welcome. It was nothing, dattebayo,” Naruto said, giving a bashful wave, his cheeks flushing slightly.

“Hey, I fell off of walls putting up decorations,” Kim yelled at the blond. "You don't get to take all the credit. It was a group effort."

“Dobe,” Sasuke muttered smacking his best friend over the head. Before they could start arguing Sakura pushed them away from each other, causing them to fall over.

“One question,” Jade spoke up. “What’s with the fuzzball cupcakes? How is that even remotely scary?”

“It just is,” Kakashi growled out, slumping his shoulders. He pouted, but no one could see it under his mask.

“Let’s party,” Deidara shouted when he heard the sound of guests arriving.

In the next thirty minutes the place was filling up with teenagers. The pile of presents on the table had risen to great heights. Ren had taken his place on the stage, acting as the DJ and parental supervision. Some kid had tried to spike the punch, and was promptly punched in the face. Also his liquor was confiscated.

Naruto nursed a bright red spot on his cheek while Sakura was fuming, and Kim was happy.


	28. Karaoke and Happy Juice

“Please! Someone please sing a song. It doesn’t have to be dedicated to me. I just want someone to do karaoke,” Jade pleaded to her group of friends. They were all standing in a group to the side of the stage, by the glass windows.

“I going to get something to drink,” Kim muttered, as she hurried away.

“Kim,” Jade shouted after her, but the girl had disappeared in the mass of party guests. She rounded on the others. “I thought you were fearless warriors. Hinata! Please go and sing a song,” she pleaded to the girl that was standing on her right, catching her off guard.

“O-okay. I'll t-try my best,” Hinata stuttered out before she was pushed up on the stage. From his speak behind the DJs station, Ren handed her a list of the songs that she could choose from. After a bit of contemplation she had finally come to a decision. If she was going to embarrass herself in front of everyone, she might as well sing a song that portrayed he feelings for someone special to her.

Ren set everything up, and handed her a microphone, then he motioned to the monitor off to the side that would display the words. When the song that was playing finished, Hinata stood center stage, waiting for the music to start. Once it started she waited for her cue. She started of softly, but as her friends started to cheer her on, she sang with much more confidence than she even knew she was capable of. Cheers broke out when Hinata sang the last notes and the music faded away. When she looked over the crowd that had formed, she couldn't help but turn red. She had been so focused on one person, she'd somehow forgotten about the crowd.

When she walked off of the stage she was pulled aside by the other girls that wanted to get up on stage to sing and have all the attention on them, and was soon engulfed in a giant hug by all of her girl friends.

“You know, she was thinking about you right,” Kakashi asked looking down at his blond haired student with a fond smile.

“Congrats! The Hyuuga Heiress likes you, un,” Deidara shouted slapping his fellow blond on the back, nearly causing the boy to stumble forward.

“Who would like the Dobe,” Sasuke questioned with a blank expression. When his friend didn't respond he looked at his face, only to see a thoughtful expression he had only seen a few times when things serious or he thought no one was looking. “Naruto?”

“I know,” Naruto said quietly, answering Kakashi's question. He turned to face Sasuke. “Just like I know that you realized you love Sakura-chan after watching her preform major surgery under immense pressure. I also know that Deidara took Jade out on a date today, and that there's something going on between Itachi and Hana. I'm not blind. I know how to read people.”

“We’re not talking about us right now. We’re talking about you and Hinata,” Itachi answered calmly, while on the inside, he was surprised. Though he would never admit it, Deidara was thankful for Itachi right then.

“She deserves someone stronger who can protect her,” was the blond boy’s reply.

“You defeated all of my Six Paths by yourself when no one else could. Not even Kakashi could.” Right there the aforementioned man gave the redhead an annoyed glare. “I brought you back to life,” he said patting the man’s shoulder. Kakashi’s shoulders slumped forward in defeat. Turning his attention back to his cousin, he asked, “Didn’t you say that everyone in the village considers you a hero, and from what I’ve read in Ren’s comic book, doesn’t the hero always get the girl?”

“They're Kim's comic books... but... we’ll help you get your girl Naruto,” Kakashi said smiling down at him. Naruto started to get freaked out by his smile. “You’re an amazing guy.”

“Get away from me, you pervert,” Naruto shouted as he pushed past the white haired man, momentarily stopping to whisper, "I'm not Kimi-nee-chan." Kakashi didn't need to know Naruto had wondered where the man went in the middle of the night and caught the two laying together on the sofa. Or that the blond had seen him carry the ebony haired girl to the room when, had it been anyone else, he would have left them there.

“Wow,” Deidara drew out with a slow whistle.

“Wait! Naruto! It's like that,” Kakashi yelled, chasing after his sensei's son.

The other three just shrugged and followed after the two. Naruto ran and had hid behind Jade while Kakashi was trying to explain himself, but the blond would not hear any of it. Nagato had explained most of the situation without giving anything away to the others. Sakura just shook her head at her Sensei, having already gone through this once before. She swore the two acted more like brothers than student and teacher.

The ebony haired girl stumbled slightly as she was trying to make her way across the dance floor over to a certain group. From what she could see, two people were shouting, and the others were just watching. She tripped and got a hold of some random person that was on the dance floor to keep herself from falling over.  From there she latched onto another and then another until she had made it to the French doors that led to the backyard. Strutting over to her friends.

“Hey guys! What’s up,” Kim shouted once she was within hearing range. She held up her plastic cup of punch and took a sip.

Naruto and Kakashi stopped their arguing, and turned, along with the others, to face Kim as stumbled stumbled in their direction. Jade pursed her lips, and shook her head. She walked over to where her best friend was standing.

“Okay princess, I think you’ve had a little too much happy juice,” Jade said taking the half-empty cup away. The dark haired girl pouted, crossing her arms and looking towards Deidara.

“Hey DeiDei,” the slightly intoxicated girl slurred as she played with the blond man’s soft hair. Running her finger through the long golden blond strands, she giggled. “You hair is so pretty, so lush. It’s very voluptuous. Tell me your secrets.” The others just stared at the girl in confusion, not really getting what was going on. Then they realized that the small girl was in fact drunk, and decided to watch and see what would happen next.

“Tell me you secrets,” she whispered into the palm of Deidara’s hand. When she got no reply she kissed the mouth that was there. The blond bomber was shocked, and the others speechless. She dropped the hand she was holding and before anyone could stop her, sashayed over to the shy Hyuga Heiress. She threw her arms around her and shouted, “Hinata! I like you! Your performance was amazing! I wish I could get up on stage like that, but alas I cannot. I have a horrid case of the stage fright.”

“I-I l-l-like you too, Kimi-san,” the pale eyed girl replied, feeling a bit awkward everyone's eyes on them. Kim grabbed hold of the other girls face, cupping both her cheeks gently, and placed a slow sensual kiss on her lips. Once again everyone was rendered speechless. Naruto, the first to snap out of his stupor, started to cheer them on, but was silenced by the glares he received from the Uchiha Brothers. They shy girl was turning an extremely deep shade of red. Kim pulled back with a sly look on her face, and then clambered onto Hinata’s back, piggy-back style.

“You know, I like to climb on top of tall people. It makes me feel like I’m on top of the world,” she explained, throwing her arms back when she shouted the word ‘world,' nearly causing Hinata to fall over backwards. She then scanned her group of friends. Her gaze landed on the tallest one, which so happened to be her fellow pirate.

The white haired Jonin gulped, slightly afraid of what she might try to do to him. Though at the same time he was quite curious. He watched her small form wearily as she slowly approached him, flashing him a seductive smile. Itachi made to stop her, but she quickly evaded him. Placing her hands on the man's shoulders, she whispered words that left the man incapable of breathing as she slowly slid her arms to wrap around his neck. Placing her right hand on his cheek, and the other was grasping the hair at the back of his head as she quickly pulled down his face mask, and smashed her lips to his.

Over at the stage there was a shout of joy that almost sounded like, "Fuck yes! I’m getting grandchildren! They'll be gorgeous!" The group watched the scene in something akin to amazement. The Uchiha Brothers were glaring holes into the Hatake’s head, and imagining ways to eliminate him.

Meanwhile the Hatake was stunned into stillness, and found himself reacting to the tiny woman. As he stood to his full height, the woman refused to get go of her hold and ended up wrapping her thighs around his waist. He was snapped back into reality when he felt something wet glide across his bottom lip, causing him to gasp in shock at the feeling it gave him, the girl took her chance to explore his mouth. He could taste nothing but chocolate and other sweet treats, and something fruity with a hint of liquor. Regaining control of his motor functions, he placed his hands on her hips stopping them from moving and pushed her back, quickly pulling his mask back up.

Although the girl’s brothers were relieved that their sister was no longer making out with the white haired man they, along with everyone else, were pretty miffed at the fact that they missed a chance to see he white haired Jonin’s face thanks to Kim's long hair shielding his face.

“Here give her this,” Sakura said trying to stifle her giggles, as she handed Kakashi a small round pill.

“Sakura-chan I don’t think he wants to kill her,” Naruto stated.

“Idiot! It’s not a food pill! It’s to flush out the alcohol,” she seethed.

Kakashi ignored them, and popped the pill in the girl’s mouth.

“I have to pee,” Kim announced. Kakashi set her down, and she ran to the nearest bathroom.

All too soon the party had come to an end when some parents showed up. They were angry at the ‘lack’ of adult supervision. They were furious when Ren had told them that he had been supervising the party the entire night. They tried to argue that there was a drunk teenager, but Ren told them it was okay, she was his daughter. In the end, the infuriated parents had taken their children home, and called their friends to get their children.

The last of the guests were getting worn out, and decided to make their ways home. It was two in the morning and the only ones left were the just a few random passed out people. Ren had woken them up, called them a cab, and sent them on their way.

The group sat around the pool, looking up at the stars. Overall they had a great time, but all good things must come to an end. They were just talking about random things.

“We should go for a swim,” Jade suggested.

“I don’t even own a swim suit,” Hana muttered, splashing her feet in the water.

“We can go in our underwear. It’s basically the same thing,” Konan stated.

“I can’t. I’m not wearing a bra because someone," Kim shot Jade a look, “told me not to wear one, and I’m not about to flash everyone." There were several coughs that sounded a lot like 'Kakashi' being choked out. Her glare intensified.

“What was that,” Naruto asked, catching the attention of the others. He was pointing to one of the windows to the mansion. He jumped up and started to make his way inside to investigate.

The rest of the group decided to follow after him. Kim and Naruto were the firsts to reach the mansion. When everyone else had made it to the entrance, Kim and Naruto were nowhere in sight.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”


	29. Jenson Ackles is Hot

When the sound of two terrified screams reached the ears of the others, they quickened their pace and headed straight for the mansion doors. Walking inside they realized that the two were nowhere in sight. Deciding to split up, they went in search of the sunshine haired boy and the ebony haired girl separately.

The shy indigo haired girl had activated her Byakugan, and the Copy Ninja and the Uchiha Brothers activated their Sharingan. The three scanned the house in search of their friends, but found nothing. For some strange reason their bloodline limits could not pick up anything. The blue haired woman sent out a swarm of her paper butterflies, but she could not locate them. Hana tried to pick up on their scents, but got nothing. It was almost as if Kim and Naruto had disappeared.

“ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

There is was again, another scream of terror. Though that time it was only one, and it sounded like Kim. The members of the search party were starting to panic. They had been wandering around the dark mansion for about an hour, and that was the only sign that the missing duo were still somewhere in there.

Hinata had traveled to the lowest level of the mansion, the basement. She was lucky that she had her Byakugan activated or she wouldn't have been able to see properly in the darkness. She caught sight of something underground. Scanning the room she found a hidden door behind a bookshelf that led to a stair case. Moving the bookshelf out of the way she walked down the stairs. She had discovered there was an abandoned tunnel beneath the mansion's foundation. The oddest part was that there was a light further down the tunnel. She slowly made her way to the source of light. Halfway there something had touched her from behind. As she was about to attack, something got a hold of her hand. Turning around, she realized it was the blond boy everyone had been searching for.

“Naruto-kun,” she muttered as she threw her arms around the blond in a bone crushing hug. The girl had completely forgotten it was her long-time childhood crush she was hugging. When she pulled back to look at his face she would have blushed if not for the look of complete horror he wore that was only enhanced by the blood that had dried along the side of his face. “Naruto-kun?”

“Hinata-chan! We need to find the others and get out of here fast. There's something weird going on in this place. As soon as we walked in, there was this thing that grabbed us. I have no clue where it took Kimi-nee-chan, but I ended up in here,” Naruto explained as he grabbed the girl by the wrist and led her in search of the others.

***

Hana went to the second floor. The stale scent of dust was overpowering her heightened sense of smell. She had wandered down one of the many halls in the mansion. There were about four doors on either side. She'd open the doors, and gave a quick once-over before moving on to the next. At the end of the hall there was a lone room.

Inside, the room was very spacious. On the right wall was a queen sized bed situated in the center, and a nightstand and an armory on the left of it. Paintings, sculptures, drawings, and sketches covered the entire left wall. There was even an art supply station, containing all the things the artist would need. Placed by the large window overlooking the woods beyond, was an easel. She stood in front of the art wall and admired all the completed pieces. The brunette ran her fingers over the supplies as she walked by, examining them. Walking over to the easel she looked the window, and then back to the unfinished painting of what was supposed to be either a sunrise or a sunset.

“Deidara and Jade would have a field day in here,” a voice sounded from behind her. She turned around in fright, not having heard any footsteps to indicate that someone had entered the room. Though nothing less would be expected from the man standing before her. He was an elite after all.

“Itachi! I didn’t hear you come in,” she said lamely. He just sent her a small smile then suddenly turned serious.

“At first I thought this was a prank Kim and Naruto were playing on us, but now… I don’t think so anymore. There seems to be something else going on.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying that there’s someone here? If there were, they would have been able to stop them. Do you think this could be a possible haunting? I remember my brother saying something about going on a mission and finding a haunted castle.”

“I won’t rule it out completely no matter how far-fetched it may sound. This house was rumored to be haunted.” Just then they heard a strange noise coming from outside the room.

***

Jade, Konan, Nagato, and Deidara wound up finding each other. Jade and Deidara had gone in search together, and they found Nagato wandering around. After a bit more searching they came across Konan, who had been staring at a wall. Ironically enough, it turned out to be a stone carving of Purgatory, which she did not fail to point out with a smirk. Nagato face-palmed, while Jade and Deidara snickered.

“Did you guys find anything that could lead us to them or tell us what happened,” Konan questioned.

“Nothing so far,” Deidara was the one to answer. “Although we did hear a bunch of weird noises, un.”

“You think this place is haunted,” Nagato asked, furrowing his brow at the thought. He was never one to believe in the supernatural.

“Could be,” Jade said. She was about to say something, but was interrupted by a high pitched scream. "This place's selling point has always been the fact that it might be haunted."

“ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

***

Sasuke had decided to follow after Sakura. He still couldn't understand how his blond so-called best friend knew about his newly discovered feelings for their pink haired teammate. Since when had Naruto ever been observant? The blond was supposed to be an idiot, oblivious to almost everything. If Naruto had gotten smarter, who’s to say that Sakura didn't get stronger in his absence. He really didn't know. He didn't know much of who his teammates were anymore. They had changed just as he had. The two were so much closer than he had remembered.

The two had wandered around for a bit looking in all the rooms they passed. They had come to a stop at the sight of large wooden double doors. Shrugging, Sakura pushed them open with ease and walked in. On the inside were mirrors like in a funhouse at the carnival. She giggled as she saw their distorted reflections. Her favorites were the ones that made her look like she had a huge butt, and Sasuke look short and fat. She made a comment that, that was how they were going to look when they got old. Sasuke shot a glare at his reflection and patted his well-defined stomach.

Sakura was feeling a bit awkward. She didn't know how to act around the youngest Uchiha. She didn't want to annoy him the way she had when they were younger. Her goal was to befriend him, and become someone whom he could trust and count on and confide in. She understood that they could only ever be friends and nothing more. That was why she had to move on. Maybe she had been a bit foolish to put all her hopes in her ex.

As they walked further into the room, they came across a red and yellow spiraled floor; it reminded her of that movie with the tin man and cowardly lion. When the pinkette had pulled a random lever she had found off to the side, the floor gave a halting jerk then began to move. It spun them around and around. They walked to the center and watched as the room spun around them.

“ARHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

***

Kakashi was wandering around the second floor when he heard the third scream of the night. He, like Hana, could not use his heightened sense of smell. Slowly but surely, the white haired Jonin was getting frustrated. He had heard two more blood curdling screams since he had entered the mansion. Walking down yet another hallway, he went through all the rooms. Hearing a fourth scream, he decided to try something he was not all too sure would actually work. He wanted to find Naruto and Kim, and get the hell out of there. The place was starting to give him the creeps. Biting his thumb and smearing the blood across his hand. He formed the proper hand seals, and slammed his palm on the ground in front of him.

“Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!”

He waited a for a second, but nothing happened. Standing up he began to resume his search for the missing two, but just as he was about to take the first step, he heard a poof.

“Hey boss! You called,” an all to familiar gruff voice called out to him.

“Pakkun,” Kakashi said, his eyes crinkling in a smile. Success! Standing before him was a small light brown pug wearing a leaf headband on his little head, wraps around his right front leg, and a blue vest with a white circle on the back.  
  
“Why are you dressed like that? Where are we?” The pug gave his master a once over, judging his choice of attire.

“It’s a costume for Halloween." Pakkun tilted his head at the strange word, but was waved off with the promise of a later explanation. "We’re in an abandoned mansion for a friend’s party in a different dimension. So I’m not too sure if you’ll be able to go back,” he explained to his summon, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly, a habit both he and Naruto seemed to share.

“Who do you want me to track,” the little dog asked. “If it’s a girl you should consider showing her your face.”

“She’s already seen my face. I'm just not sure if she remembers it, but that's not the point."

“So it is a girl. Tough break. She’s probably not interested in someone who reads porn all the time.” Kakashi shot the pug a face. What a sight it was, to see the Hatake flustered like a fool. “You know what they say, set them free and if they were meant to be yours they’ll come back.”

“It’s not like that. Just find her and Naruto, so we can meet up with the others and get out of here,” he commanded. Just after Kakashi had said that, the two heard heels clacking on the marble floors. Before he knew it, someone had ran into his chest and sent him sprawling on the floor.

“Found her boss,” Pakkun stated, unhelpfully. The ebony haired girl lifted herself off of her fellow pirate, and turned to find the source of the unfamiliar voice. When she saw a dog, a mixture of shock and confusion washed over her feature. “I know, I’m cute. But if you promise not to freak out about the fact that I can talk, I’ll let you touch my paws.”

“I’d much rather play with your ears,” Kim said in a monotone, not fully understanding the fact that she was talking to a dog. “They’re so adorably floppy.” She looked down at Kakashi where he laid beneath her. “We need to find the others and get the hell out of here.” She grabbed him by the arm, hauling his gigantic form up and began to lead him downstairs as fast as her healed feet would allow. Pakkun ran after them.

“Wait! What were you screaming about?”

“That wasn’t me.”

“Then who was it? Naruto?”

“No! It's something else. I need to talk to him.” They ran down the halls in search of the others. The first group they had come across was Hana and Itachi. Pakkun had started to growl at the Uchiha, but was quickly informed that he was okay. Then they came across Deidara, Jade, Nagato, and Konan.

“Pakkun they’re okay,” Kakashi told his nin-dog when he heard the low rumble sounding within the little dogs chest.

“What other missing-nin are here,” the dog asked sarcastically. Jade started freaking out with the dog, and stared at him with wide uncomprehending hazel eyes. He gestured to Itachi, Deidara, and Nagato with his paw. “And aren’t these three supposed to be dead? How are they even alive? Isn’t he the idiot that blew himself up?” Then he turned his head to the side when he caught the scent of four more people. “So Sasuke’s here as well.”

“Naruto,” Kim shouted when the blond came into view. “What did you do?”

“ME? What did you do? This was never part of the plan, dattebayo! We never agreed on ghosts!”

“What plan,” Nagato asked catching the attention of the arguing pair. Kim and Naruto started to smack each other on the heads and calling the other names.

“Well, we were watching a movie about a haunted house…” Naruto started.

“Then we got the idea to make it seem like the mansion was haunted…”

“It turns out that this place is actually haunted…”  
  
“When we walked into the house, something grabbed us…”

“I ended up in a tunnel underground.”

“And I ended up in a bedroom up stairs,” Kim finished. The pair of pranksters wore matching sheepish grins, somehow forgetting about the fact that they had been dragged through the mansion by angry ghosts.

“Wait," Sakura spoke up, realizing something, "if it wasn't you guys screaming, then who was?"

“The first time it was us, but the others were probably the ghosts,” Kim explained. It wasn't like she was unable to sleep at night after watching horror film with Jade, or anything, and it most definitely wasn't like she crawled into other people's beds for comfort. Yet, somehow, the girl was completely calm and rational.

“So we’re stuck in a haunted mansion,” Sasuke stated dryly. From the movies he'd seen in both his home dimension and the new one, he knew that the moment they tried to leave, every exit would be blocked and they'd be tapped inside.

“Who would even be haunting this place,” Konan asked. “What’s the story behind it?”

Jade decided to tell them of the mansion’s history. “This place has been abandoned for as long as I can remember. It was built sometime in the mid eighteen hundreds by this rich man. His name was Alexander Stonewall. He took five mistresses, each their own talents that made them unique. The first was a champion ballroom dancer, the second had an amazing singing voice, the third could make any garden into a flower wonderland, the fourth was a musical prodigy, and the fifth had a passion for art.”

“So this man built this place, and fooled around with a bunch of women. It doesn’t mean that this place is haunted,” Nagato deadpanned, ever the skeptic.

“He had all five mistresses at once,” Jade deadpanned. Everyone’s minds reeled. She continued on with the story. “They each had their own rooms at the ends of the halls. He would spend the same amount of time with each of them, though he was a complete bastard and was rarely ever around. He was always away on business, or so he said. Even though the women were competing for the same man’s attention, they were great friends. Then one day Stonewall had fled, and his mistresses were never heard from again. The only reason they knew they were dead, was because of all the blood that was found in each of their rooms, but they never found the bodies. No one knew why he did it,” she finished.

“So we’re being haunted by a bunch of women that didn’t know how to get their own man,” Itachi joked, highly disturbed at how similar the situation was to the Warring States Era. Had he been born in the past, he would have had to take a number of women to continue the Uchiha lineage.

“At least one Uchiha has a sense of humor,” Naruto shouted. “But this isn’t the time for jokes, ‘ttebayo!”

“Wait,” Kim shouted, frantically looking around. “Where’s my dad?” Right as Kim asked the question, a scream resounded in the manor, one that unmistakably belonged to Ren. Kim was the first one to break out into a run, with the others soon after her.

A sudden chill swept through the room as the rapidly declined. The windows had frozen over, the doors all slammed shut, and wouldn't budge no matter how much they tried. Naruto tried to run into the doors, but he only bounced back leaving the door unscathed. Sakura decided to use her monster strength. It worked, and the door shattered. When they tried to go through the pieces of the door put themselves back together like a puzzle.

“Isn’t there some incantation that can banish them back to hell, un?”

“We’re not dealing with demons,” Kim said, wondering how the man had even come to that conclusion.

“Then what are we dealing with,” Hana huffed, getting frustrated. She was a specialized tracker, one of the best in the village, but apparently she couldn't track the damn thing that were screwing around with them.

“Most likely vengeful sprits,” Kim answered. "You know, like... when someone dies and they have unfinished business, or something like that."

“How do you get rid of those,"

“Find the bodies, salt and burn the remains.” They all gave her a weird look, all silently asking her how she knew so much. “My dad watches this show, and Jenson Ackles is really hot.” They all shook their heads at her answer. "Besides they base most of the stuff off of the actual lore and supernatural facts, and I've been a bit conflicted ever since Misha came along... but Destiel!"

“Where would someone stash a body,” Nagato asked, finally giving in to the fact that the place was haunted.

“Buried somewhere in the woods,” Kim suggested. "In the walls?"

“I am never going to piss you off again,” Jade said. “You would kill. Then I would not be able to haunt you, because you would get rid of me.”

They finally decided on burning the doors. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Itachi took turns doing that. As they were running through the halls random objects were thrown at them. Everything that could open and close was doing so in rapid succession. When they heard Ren's screams again, they quieted down to be able to pinpoint his location. He was somewhere on the upper floor. Racing back up to the top floor they, began to searching the rooms again. There was only one room left at the end of the hall. Entering and searching the room, that must have belonged to Stonewall, they discovered nothing.

“What now,” Jade whimpered.

“Find the bodies,” Kim said as calmly as she could, though on the inside, her heart was racing a mile a minute. “If we get rid of them he'll be safe, and then we would only have to find him.” The longer her father was missing, the harder she found it to keep her calm.

Everyone nodded in agreement before making their way out of the mansion, to the back yard. Hinata stood at the front of the group using her Byakugan to scan the ground for the wives’ remains. They searched for about an hour before they were deep within the woods. Buried beneath the riverbed, were the remains they were looking for.

Kim took off her heel and stepped into the small river, the water coming up to her waist. Itachi, Hana, and Kakashi followed after her. Hinata directed them to where they had to dig once Nagato returned with the shovels he found in the dusty gardening shed. They used their chakra to be able to stick to the bottom of the riverbed to prevent them from slipping. Kim had some trouble with it, but she managed.

Soon they had uncovered the bodies, which were only skeletons wrapped in bedsheets secured with rope. One by one, they let the bundles float up to the surface where the others could grab them. With the remains in tow, they made their way back to the mansion.

“Son of a bitch,” they heard Ren yell. When they reached the edge of the woods, it was to see the man being dangled off the roof by a figure. The figure was a silvery blue color and was slightly transparent. He gathered chakra into his feet, but when he tried to stick to the wall the figure would hold him out further. He caught sight of the others, eyes narrowing at the sight of the soggy bundles of fabric. “Burn them!”

Getting to work they laid out the remains in a row on the ground. When Naruto made to burn the bodies, he was thrown back by a powerful unseen force. Naruto started to panic. He hated ghosts, and standing before him were five of them. Quickly creating a shadow clone, he held out one hand and formed a Rasengan. He cursed loudly when he passed right through the figures. Whit the spirits distracted, Itachi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and directed his gaze towards the bodies. Black flames sprouted on the remains, causing the entities to scream in pain as their forms started to flicker before disappearing in a blaze of fire.

With the spirit gone, Ren had nothing to keep in suspended in the air. He cursed loudly as he started to rapidly descend, to far to grab onto anything. Kim sprang to her feet and raced over to her father’s falling form. Gathering chakra to the bottom of her feet she ran up the back wall of the mansion. She intercepted him midway, and got a hold of the back of his pants.

“Daughter you’re giving me a wedgie.”

“Better than going splat on the ground, Father,” she retorted. She swung him to the side in order for him to plant his feet on the wall. From there they leapt off, and moved to rejoin the others.

“Jade, I'm sorry, but next year all you’re getting is a cake,” Ren told the girl. She just nodded. He looked down at Pakkun and pointed. “I’m not cleaning up after him.”

“I never asked you to,” the pug stated, scratching at his nose.

“I thought Naruto was messing with me when he told me that some animals could talk. I guess he was telling the truth,” Ren stated with the nonchalant understanding and acceptance they were learning to expect from the man.

“Here,” Hana said, handing Ren a picture she had found in the study. When he turned it over he thought he was looking at black and white photo of himself, with the only differences being the long hair and the old fashioned clothes, and Ren's larger muscle mass. They had the same ebony colored hair, tan skin, and hardened dark eyes. The most shocking difference was in the eyes. Whereas Ren’s held a warmness, the other man’s held a coldness. He showed the picture to the others.

“I guess you look so much like him that the women mistook you for him. That's why they kidnapped you and tried to kill you. They wanted revenge even after death,” Sasuke stated. Everyone rose an eyebrow at the irony of what Sasuke had just said. When he caught on, he glared back at them.


	30. It's In The Blood

“Give me some.”

“Make your own.”

“That’s not physically possible.”

“Kakashi told me you cook all the time.”

“Damn him.”

…

“Give me some!”

“Cook some for yourself!”

“But yours smells so good!”

“If I give you some will you stop sleeping on my bed?”

“No, because I’m protecting you.”

“From what? I live in a house full of ninja. I don’t really think anyone is going to attack me.”

“I protect you from Jade on scary movie nights.”

“Here,” Kim grumbled as she fed a piece of her bacon to Pakkun, her fearless protector of Jade and all things that go bump in the night. “But do you really have to sleep on my hair?” At the beginning the little dog had slept sprawled out at the foot of her bed, but as the two became familiar with each other, the dog had started to sleep curled up against the small of her back or in the crook of her knees. Then, at some point, he had started to sleep partially on her pillow with his squished face nuzzled in her hair.

“It smells good, like sweet black cherries,” was the little pug’s reply. “I would have slept with Sakura, we use the same shampoo, but her hair isn't as long or as soft as yours.” Kim gave him a weird face at his reasoning.

“I’m gonna go outside and train with the others,” she said, slowly getting up and backing away towards the door. After descending the stairs she made her way to the clearing in the woods where the others were.

It had been about a month since the craziness that was Jade’s Halloween Birthday Bash, and was the beginning of December. Thanksgiving had been an interesting event with the ninja. Konan and Hana took it upon themselves to make dinner. Naruto had wanted to run to New York to see the Thanksgiving Day Parade, and had to be restrained by a reluctant Kakashi. During dinner Sasuke and Naruto, and Deidara and Itachi all ended up having eating contests; Ren had smacked them all for throwing up on the floor. Everyone had stared at Kakashi waiting for him to remove his mask, but to no avail. Jade started a food fight. Sakura had developed a love for apple pie. Kim refused to give anyone vanilla ice cream or pumpkin pie. Nagato kept making perverted jokes. Hinata sat back and recorded everything on her video camera.

The shop was closed for the day since it was a Sunday, and by some strange turn of events, everyone had the day off from work. Hinata, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke had to work part-time because of school. Surprisingly, the four were at the top of their classes. Sasuke and Naruto were doing well on the basketball team, and were even guaranteed to become co-captains next season. Hinata and Sakura were having a bit of a hard time with the captain of the cheer squad. As it would turn out she was the same girl Kim had threatened to stay away from Sasuke, and she was taking her frustration out on the two girls.

“Hey guys,” called Kim as she walked into the clearing. She looked down when something brushed her leg, and saw Pakkun standing there. She walked over to Deidara who was the closest person to her. “What are they doing?”

“They’re trying to figure out what area your father specializes in, un,” the blond man answered. “We’ve tried Genjutsu, Medical Ninjutsu, and a little bit of Ninjutsu, but he wasn’t that good. Right now Nagato's trying to see if he’s good at summoning.”

The two watched on as Nagato brought out a scroll with a flourish, placing it on the ground and rolling it out. He said some things to Ren and then took a step back to supervise. Ren placed his hands over the seal and pumped out a small amount of chakra. A kunai appeared where his hands were. He picked it up and threw it at a target on a tree. There was some talking along with some nodding.

“So…” Kim said trailing off as she and the blond man approached the rest of the group.

“Oh, hey guys,” Sakura greeted walking over to the two, excitement shining in her pastel green eyes. “You know that your dad is amazing at Taijutsu. He put up a good fight against Naruto and Itachi. The guys are also thinking that he’d make a good weapons master, but he doesn’t think so. He said he would be more interested in inventing new gadgets and whatnot.”

“That sounds like him,” Kim muttered. Her father had always been technologically inclined, despite not looking the part. “Have they figured out anything for Jade?”

“Not yet, she wanted to wait for you,” Deidara was the one to answer that time. “Though I do have a few artistic ideas for her.” Then he walked away. Kim and Sakura shrugged and followed after him to where the others were.

“Kim you’re finally here! Come on,” Jade shouted as she grabbed the girl’s arm and dragged her to stand by her. The hazel eyed girl was nearly vibrating from her restrained joy. “This is so exciting!” Kim rolled her eyes.

They started off with basic Academy level Jutsus. Jade had created a perfect clone. One half of Kim’s clone looked droopy, a sign of exerting too much chakra into low-level jutsu. It caused Naruto to burst out laughing, Itachi and Sasuke to face palm, and Jade to smirk in victory. She tried it three more times before she got the chakra out-put right. Next up was the Transformation Jutsu. Naruto performed his Sexy Jutsu, which caused Sakura to punch him across the clearing. Jade turned into Deidara, and Kim turned into Kakashi. When Kim tried to pull down the mask, Kakashi smacked her and she reverted back to her original form with an adorable pout.

The next jutsu they were to perform was the Replacement Jutsu. They both performed it with ease. Next up was to test their ability to evade and deflect. Sasuke, Itachi, and Konan sent a barrage of kunai, shuriken, and paper shuriken at the two girls. It was Kim’s turn to smirk when she came out with hardly any scratches while Jade had cuts and scratches that Sakura quickly healed. After that they tested their tree climbing. Kim made it up with no problem, having learned the jutsu almost a month ago. Jade struggled to find the correct chakra out-put, and after being blasted off the tree a few times, she made it halfway up.

When they finished with their review, it was well into the afternoon. Everyone had gone inside to rest aside from Itachi, Sasuke, and Kim. The two brothers were in the middle of a spar. Kim was just lazing against a tree watching them move at incredible speeds. She envied the way the moved around with such grace. Her mind had wandered off. She didn’t notice the two figures standing in front of her until they spoke.

“How’s about some more Uchiha training,” Itachi asked, snapping Kim out of her daydream. The girl looked up at her two so-called brothers with eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“What’s it about this time,” she questioned warily, not trusting them.

“The Uchiha clan is well known for our control of the flames. Hence the reason our clan’s symbol is a fan,” Sasuke explained.

“I thought you clan was known for the Sharingan, and as you two already know, I don’t have that,” Kim replied tiredly.

“That too,” Itachi mussed. “But every Uchiha Ninja must learn our signature technique: The Grand Fireball Jutsu.”

“Okay,” Kim said jumping up to her feet. “Show me what to do.”

The two boys stood on either side of her. They went over the correct hand seals until she had them memorized and was able to preform them in quick succession, though nowhere near the speed of the two brothers. After a few demonstrations, she felt she was ready to try it. Doing as instructed she gathered chakra into her lungs, formed the hand seals, and released it in one great breath. All that came out of her mouth were a few spits of flames that died out before they fell to the ground. Not being one to back down, she tried it again and again until she had almost run out of chakra, and Itachi had to carry her back inside.

***

The following Sunday, they were all doing the same thing as last time. Ren was working on his Taijutsu with Naruto, sparing against the boy and his small army of Shadow Clones. Jade and Deidara were being extremely secretive about the things they were discussing. Kim was working on gathering chakra into her lungs, and holding it there. Kakashi was reading his book in a tree. Sakura was teaching Konan, Hinata, and Hana some basic Medical Ninjutsu. Nagato was doing nothing, he was just lazing about on the grass.

“I think I got it,” Kim announced happily, catching the attention of everyone aside from Deidara who was too busy focusing on a scroll with his back turned. She gathered a large amount of chakra into her lungs, formed the hand seals, and then released it with more force than was necessary.

“Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!”

A stream of flames came from her mouth, and formed a giant fire ball. She had gotten a little too excited at her success, and the ball went a little farther out than she anticipated.

“Stupid Uchihas! They’re all out to get me, un,” Deidara shouted as he struggled to put out the flames in his hair. Kim’s eyes widened and she released the Jutsu. Jade squirted the water out of the sports bottle she had been drinking out of on the flailing blond’s hair. The fire would not go out. Itachi performed a small water Jutsu, and ended up drenching the blond. Once the fire was out, Deidara’s hair, that usually went down to his waist, was burnt up to just below his chin. He pointed to Sasuke, “You better not electrocute me! And YOU I’m going to introduce you to my art!”

“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to do it. I just got a little carried away,” Kim apologized, tears gathering in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

Jade placed a comforting hand on her boyfriend’s shoulder, stopping him from doing anything he might regret later. He pouted when she started to laugh at him. She led him back into the loft to give him an emergency haircut. When they were out of sight the others congratulated Kim.

“I didn’t teach you that,” Kakashi quipped as he walked up behind the girl.

“Itachi and Sasuke taught me,” Kim said, smiling up at the man. “They said I’m finally recognized as a ninja belonging to the Uchiha clan, and that there were a few more things that they wanted to teach me. So now you don’t have to worry about my training anymore.”

“All my students leave me. I feel so alone,” Kakashi muttered under his breath, as Kim walked away to go and see if Deidara was alright.

“Someone’s jealous,” Pakkun stated.

“Why would I be jealous,” Kakashi asked confused. What reason would he even have for being jealous?

“Because the little hottie doesn’t need you anymore,” was his gruff reply. The little dog sent his master a knowing look, that came off more as a smirk.

“It’s not like that."

“You never once complained when Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura went off and found new teachers. With Sasuke it was mainly about the fact that he deserted the village, and how you failed him as a teacher, but that’s besides the point.”

“What exactly are you getting at, Pakkun,” the Jonin asked tiredly. “Pakkun?” He looked down and around him to see that his Nin-dog had disappeared. Sighing, he took a seat on the grass and pulled out his book. He wasn't jealous. He didn't get jealous.

***

“I’m so sorry! Please forgive me!” Kim had walked into the loft to see that Jade had finished trimming off the burnt parts of the blond man’s hair. When she saw him stand up, she ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. Every time she shouted out an apology she tightened her grip around his neck, effectively choking the man.

“If I forgive you, will you let go, un!” She nodded her head into his chest. “Alright then! I forgive you, un!” She let go of him and took a seat on the barstool. “Gees woman! First you try to set me on fire, and then you try to suffocate me. What did I ever do to make you want to kill me?”

“I don’t know. I just get this feeling inside that tells me that I need to kill you,” she replied in all seriousness, not a single trace of mirth in her tone. Deidara’s eyes widened as he started to freak out, nearly hyperventilating. Jade broke down laughing.

“She’s just joking, Dei,” she reassured him, rubbing his back in soothing circles.

“Or am I,” Kim said mysteriously as she walked out the front door with a glint in her eye and a smirk on her lips.

“It’s in the blood! She never tried to kill me before the blood transfusion!” Jade just shook her head at him, and went out after her friend.


	31. The Bell Test

"Today you guys become a Genin team, 'ttebayo! Isn't that exciting," the blond haired boy shouted, clapping his hands.

Everyone, aside from Kim and Pakkun, was standing around in the clearing deep within the woods behind the shop. When the others made their way outside the missing two were arguing about sleeping arrangements and taking baths.

"Idiot," Sakura scolded as she brought her fist down on her blond friend's head. "They can't become a Genin team if they don't belong to a village."

"Actually, they can," Itachi stated. "Just like Orochimaru," almost every ninja present shuddered at the mention of the man, "founded the Sound Village, they can found their own village."

"What are you going to name your village," Naruto asked, more like shouted, curiously.

"You stupid mutt, look at what you did," they heard Kim shout as she made her way over to the clearing. Kakashi sighed. Pakkun would not leave the ebony haired girl alone, despite him asking... many times. The little dog even refused his bribes.

"You're the one who tripped," was the pug's gruff reply.

"I tripped over you!"

"Maybe you should start looking down when you walk."

"You did it on purpose! You even made me fall on a cactus! Why is there an abundance of cacti out here?!" They had finally reached the edge of the clearing. Pakkun just stood there examining his paws. Kim was having problems trying to balance herself on one leg with one hand placed on a tree for support, and simultaneously attempting to remove the little spikes from her leg.

"Cacti," Pakkun inquired, tilting his head slightly to the side in that adorable way all pugs did.

"We would sound pretty stupid if we went around saying cactuses," Kim answered without thinking even before she got a spike stuck in her finger, effectively reminding her of the situation. "Don't try to change the subject!"

"So close..."

"Cactus Village sounds kind of lame, and so does Land of Cacti," Jade said, testing out the names. She noted Kim's questioning look as she approached the others, and quickly brought her up to speed.

"Land of Sunburn," Sasuke grumbled his opinion. Despite the copious amounts of sunblock he applied before going outside to train, his pale skin was alway aggravated by the harsh Texas sun. Itachi and Hinata both managed to get a light tan after hours in the sun, but not him. He just ended up bright red and in pain. It also didn't help that his idiotic siblings recently took to slapping him on the back every chance they got.

"Teme you wouldn't have to worry about getting sunburned, if you hadn't lived in a cave with a pedophile for about two and a half years, dattebayo," Naruto said nonchalantly with a wave of his hand. Sasuke glared at him.

"He does have a point, Sasuke. Not even your brother has sunburn," Sakura imputed, pointing out the obvious. Sasuke turned his glare, which was really more of a pout, on her. He really missed the days when she always took his side.

"It's just the three of us, do we really need to create our own village," Ren asked, looking to the others. When everyone one nodded, and gave their reasons as to why they needed a village he sighed. "Fine, but I'll choose the name." He took a few minutes to think it over. It all seemed so unnecessary to him, but... whatever. "We'll be the Sun Village or Land of Sun. I'll be the king, lord, whatever of this thing."

"Alright, I'm a princess," Kim shouted, thrusting a triumphant fist in the air like she was punching the sky. Right after, she began doing a weird dance by moving her hands in a circular motion in front of her and moving her hips along with her hands.

"What does that make me," Jade asked, thoughts of being a duchess or even a countess flittering though her head as she wore a dreamy smile.

"Village Slut," Kim answered immediately and with a straight face, bursting her best friend's bubble in an instant.

"You BITCH," Jade shouted as she began chasing after her friend.

***

"Now that everyone has calmed down, we can give you all your first D-Ranked mission as Genin," Naruto said, taking the lead.  
  
"What's a D- Rank mission?  And what does Genin mean," Jade asked puzzled.  
  
When she felt all eyes on her, Sakura took that as her queue to begin explaining. "In the village we get requests do to certain things for people, and then they get organized by difficulty into varying ranks. D-Rank is the lowest ranking mission you can receive, which is mainly like house chores, babysitting or finding lost pets. The next is C-Rank, basic protection against thieves and bandits and deliveries and so on." She gave a quick explanation of B and A ranked missions, but when it came to S-Ranked, she struggled to find the right words. "S-Ranks are... things that need to be kept confidential... like political assassinations and other things."   
  
Seeing Sakura's struggle, Hinata decided to step in. "How you get chosen for a mission is dependent of your rank as a ninja. The ninja ranks start out as Academy students, Genin, Chunin, and then Jonin. Academy students are still learning and don't get missions. Genin receive D-Rank missions, Chunin get C and B-Ranked missions, Jonin get the A-Ranked ones, and the S-Ranked are left to the Hokage and his team."

"I think the only one that really took in all of what you said, was Kim," Ren stated meekly, scratching at the back of his head as he worked to process the new information. Jade nodded in agreement, completely lost, then glared at the traitorous man when he added, "Though I got most of it."  
  
"Kakashi is a Jonin, Itachi, Nagato, Konan, Deidara, Hana, Sakura and I are Chunin, and Naruto-kun and Sasuke are still Genin," Hinata stated. "Though Itachi and Deidara are considered Missing-Nin, and Kakashi and Itachi are ex-ANBU."

"What's ANBU," Ren asked.

"They're a group handpicked by the Hokage. There's no exam like when they become Chunin or promotion like for Jonin.  He chooses them by their individual skill. The elite of the elite. There's no rank in the ANBU, so anyone has a chance at getting in; even an Academy student could get chosen. They're the ones that get sent on the S-Ranked missions," Kim said in a dull tone. Everyone stared at her, aside from Kakashi who was hiding his face behind his book. "Apparently Kakashi and Itachi are considered the geniuses of prodigies. Though Kakashi beats Itachi by three years and in experience, or something like that."

"Kaka-Sensei, I didn't know you were one to brag," Naruto said staring, along with everyone else, at the lazy man.

"No one beats the Pretty Boy," Ren said as he draped an arm over Kakashi's shoulders.

"I never said anything like that," Kakashi defended himself with his hands raised, beginning to sweat nervously.

"I know, Pakkun was the one who told me," Kim stated looking down at the little dog.

"Shouldn't they be getting their first mission," Pakkun expertly deflected their attention. "Don't they have a cat to catch or something."

"What that's not fair," Jade shouted. "All cats love The Bitch!"

"Hey! Why am I a bitch?!" Kim rounded on the blonde with a heated glare, eyes nearly turning red.

"Why am I a slut?!"

"Oh, like we don't see Deidara sneaking into your room at all hours of the night!"

"Oh, and you expect us to believe that you and Kakashi only train at night? You can't even see his face. He could be hideous for all we know!?"

At that everyone turned to stare at Kakashi, trying to see if the man would prove Jade otherwise.

"Don't even try," Kakashi said glaring at them. "Just get ready for your mission." He picked Pakkun up off the ground, and held him around his stomach under his front legs. "You have three hours to locate and capture Pakkun."

"Wait! Before they start the mission, they should take the bell test," Sakura suggested, a wicked gleam in her eyes. The others who had never heard of the bell test shot her questioning looks. Naruto started laughing while Sasuke smirked.

"I guess we could start with that," Kakashi said with a shrug of his shoulders. He formed a few hand seals, and three stone posts rose from the ground. He pulled out his phone to check the time. Making an alarm, he held up the phone. "It's 10:27. When was the last time you guys ate?"

"At five this morning," Ren said at the same time as Kim said, "Like thirty minutes ago." Apparently, Jade was the only one to eat at eight, like a normal person.

"Good. Skip lunch or you guys just might puke," he informed with a smile. Everyone, aside from his Genin team, gave him strange looks. He pulled out two bells from his pocket. "You all have until dinner to get a bell from me. There are two bells, meaning that, come dinner time, one of you will be tied to a post. You can use any ninja tools. You have to come at me with the intention to kill or you will never get a bell from me. Begin," he stated when the clock struck 10:30.

As soon as the words to start left his mouth, the three ran to take cover and plan their next move. Kim was hidden up in a tree, Jade was hidden underneath some bushes, and Ren was hiding in the shadows cast by the trees. The others sat together off to the side of the clearing. Kakashi scanned the area around him, knowing that they would not roam too far away.

Suddenly the white haired Jonin was met with a barrage of kunai. Pulling out a kunai of his own he deflected all but one. The one he missed grazed the inside of his thigh. His aim is good. Especially since he's never worked with kunai before a month ago, he thought. Ren charged out and aimed a punch at his face. He leaned backwards, catching Ren's fist in the palm of his hand. Moving his hand to grip the other man's wrist he threw him across the clearing. His legs shifted apart as he brought his arms up, taking a defensive stance.

"Shinobi lesson number one: Taijutsu," he announced, his voice carrying out across the entire clearing. Ren stood up wiping the dirt off of his face.

"Kakashi-Sensei do that jutsu," Naruto shouted, his hands forming the tiger seal. Sakura smacked the blond on the back of the head, and Sasuke didn't even try to disguise his mirth. Everyone else was just plain confused; they were really out of the loop. Kakashi got a contemplative look on his face, and then he disappeared only to reappear behind Ren in a crouched position.

"What's he going to do? That's the tiger seal," Itachi asked, worry creeping up in his voice. Sasuke just smirked and motioned for him to watch and see.

"Konoha Hidden Art: A thousand Years of Pain! "

"What the hell! I'm not into this kinky crap," Ren cried, hands on his bottom as he flew through the air. Everyone, besides Team Seven, sweat in exasperation.  He landed in the small lake Sakura had made during one of her training sessions, and Itachi had filled with water. He flipped midair, landing on his feet on the surface of the water before disappearing into the dense woods.

While Kakashi had his back turned, Jade decided to make her move. She jumped to her feet, and ran at him with a kunai in hand, only to have him sidestep her attack. She used it to her advantage and threw the kunai in his direction before darting back into the woods. She needed a new plan.

Kim threw her arms up to silently cheer for her best friend. When she did so she lost her balance and fell out of the tree.

"So that's where you were," Kakashi said as he appeared behind her. "Shinobi lesson number two: Genjutsu." He formed a seal, and there was a flurry of leaves. Kim nearly lost her balance and stumbled a bit as she made to stand, Kakashi briefly feeling her fingers brush against his torso in her struggled and moved out of the way. Once on her feet, she turned her head side to side, eyes slowly scanning her surroundings. Pulling out a couple senbon, she threw them in Kakashi's direction. His eyes widened. How did she see though it, he pondered as he dodged the senbon. When he looked back, she had ran deeper into the forest.

Jade took the chance at another attack. As she charged at him, he vanished. She was starting to get frustrated with all his disappearing acts. The next thing she knew, a hand sprouted from the ground and wrapped around her ankle. She felt it pull her down until her head was the only part of her body above ground level.

"Shinobi lesson number three: Ninjutsu," Kakashi said to her and the others, crouched down in front of her.

"I'm really starting to hate you," Jade spat at him. He gave her one of his famous crinkled eyed smiles and chuckled as he walked away from her. She started to wiggle in the ground. When she had gone under she had brought both her hands up to her chest. She formed the hand seals she and Deidara had spent countless hours working on. She took a deep breath and slowly released it. Soon there was a faint rose colored mist surrounding the clearing. It even had a faint scent of roses.

"Water Style: Rosy Sleep Mist Jutsu!"

Kakashi was starting to feel sleepy. The rose scent was soothing to the senses. His already droopy eyelids were on the verge of closing completely. Because of his heightened sense of smell, the jutsu was affecting him worse than what it would a normal person. He snapped out of it and held his breath. Though it didn't put him to sleep, it did make him slightly drowsy.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

His movements were slower than usual, but he had evaded it nonetheless. He back flipped out of the way of the fire jutsu Kim had sent in his direction, only to have to evade a roundhouse kick from Ren. Standing in the middle of the lake he looked at his three opponents. He watched as Ren pulled Jade out of the ground. Then he looked at Kim, meeting her dark eyes. She gave him a bright smile, her arms folded behind her back. He watched as Ren and Jade both took something from her. His eyes, or eye, widened when bells attached to red strings dropped from both Ren and Jade's hands. He looked down to his waist where the bells once resided to see nothing there.

When had she..? "You're the only one without a bell that means you failed. You were the one to get the bells yet you gave them away. Why did you do it if you knew you would fail," Kakashi asked directing his question at Kim who still stood with her arms behind her back.

"Well...," she trailed off, rocking on her feet. She pulled out an orange book from behind her back. She held it up showing him the cover as she drawled, "I would much rather find out what's so interesting about this damned thing." Kakashi's eyes widened even further, as he frantically searched his figure for his beloved book, hoping the one in her hands was a fake. It was not.

"You three pass," he muttered, clearing his throat. Kim had opened the book to the first page and was about to start reading when it was snatched out of her hands by a blushing Kakashi, even though no one could tell he was blushing. Kim just patted him on the chest, flashing him a cheeky grin.

"Wait what was the whole point of the test, un," Deidara shouted confused. He voiced the question that most of them were thinking.

"Teamwork," Team Seven said in unison, and a collective 'Ohh..." was heard.


	32. Nagato's List (Part One)

“Since you guys took the bell test instead of completing your ‘mission’ like planned, you’re going to be completing it today,” Kakashi droned. He picked Pakkun up off of the ground and held him around the stomach under his front legs. “You will have four hours to catch him. Use any means necessary. Be creative. Begin!” With that he set the pug down. Pakkun shot a smirk at the ‘Genin team’ and raced off into the woods.

Two hours later, they had regrouped back in the clearing. Half of their allotted time had passed, and they had only caught glimpses of the little brown dog. They tried going at it separately and as a whole, but the little dog outsmarted them each time. Jade had chased the little dog and fell into the lake, and was soaked to the bone. Ren was led through a maze of trees and had come across an enraged bee colony. Pakkun had tripped Kim twice, the first time into more cacti and the second into a mud pit.

They needed a new plan and fast. The only visible part of Kim through the mud was her eyes and her hair was caked onto her head. Jade was dripping wet and shivering. Ren had bee stings covering most of his body, and was grateful to the fact that he was not allergic.

It was like a light bulb went off inside of Ren’s and Jade’s heads. The two gave each other wicked smiles, and looked down at Kim, who was trying to take out the little spikes from her arms. Ren grabbed her by the waist and threw her over his shoulder, then he, with Jade trailing behind, ran inside the loft. The others could only watch in confusion.

Thirty minutes later they returned outside. Kim was clean and her hair was dripping wet. Ren was holding a container in his hands. As soon as they reached the clearing Jade forced Kim to lie down on the ground, and spread her hair out behind her. Jade then took the container, opened it, and then placed it on the ground next to Kim’s hair. Kim had her arms crossed and was frowning. Once it was opened the scent of bacon reached the others’ noses. Ren then took off his shirt and used it to fan out the scents.

Deep in the woods, a delicious mouthwatering scent had reached the super sensitive nose of certain Nin-dog. Pakkun sniffed the air. It smelt of his two favorite scents, Kim’s cherry scented shampoo and crispy bacon. He followed his nose and was led back to the clearing. There he saw Kim lying on the ground with her hair spread out and a bowl full of bacon next to her. He was a weak dog, and ran full speed to his prize. He snuggled in her hair and started to munch on the crispy pieces of bacon.

Kakashi face palmed, expecting much more from his ninken. Kim's face contorted in slight pain as the pug pulled her hair. The others broke out into laughter at it all. The Hatake walked over to where his summon was and pick him up, the he offered a hand to Kim and pulled her up to her feet.

“What happened to ‘I’m not going to let them get me,’ ne Pakkun,” Kakashi asked rhetorically.

***

After all the craziness of the early morning, everyone had gathered in the living room. Naruto flipped through the tv channels and somehow ended up stopping on one of the many Christmas movies that they were giving, which happened to be Four Christmases.

“We really should put up decorations,” Jade muttered, remembering the bare state of the shop and loft, not once taking her eyes away from the movie. Hazel eyes glittered, taking in the fully decorated houses and Christmas trees.

“Yeah Dad, when are we going Christmas shopping,” Kim asked, putting her hair up into a messy bun, in hopes of getting Pakkun to stay away. It took three washes to get rid of all the excess beacon grease the pug had dripped into her hair.

“I don’t know, whenever,” the questioned man replied, not once looking up from his tablet's screen. "You're gonna need to get new lights, most of them blew during the power outage last year. The rest of the stuff should be in the front closet."

“Can we go right now,” Naruto shouted with excitement gleaming in his eyes as he bounced up and down in his seat. Sasuke was frowning as he was being squished into Sakura’s side by the hyperactive blond.

“I guess,” Ren said, finally looking up as the ending credits played on the TV screen accompanied by some pop song.

“Wait,” Nagato shouted. He stood up with Jade’s laptop. “Let me print something out first.” He ran to where the printer was kept, and connected the computer via wifi. When whatever he was printing was finished, he ran back to where the others were wearing a grin they were used to seeing on the blond Uzumaki's face. Kakashi let out an involuntary shiver as he recalled another redhead. “Now we can go.”

***

Twenty minutes later, they all arrived at the local Walmart. Everyone had gone and when someone said they wanted to stay back at the loft, they were dragged to one of the two vehicles. It was a tight fit in Ren’s truck and Jade’s car and some of them weren't in the best of moods. Pakkun was stuffed inside of one of Jade’s large tote bags, which was usually reserved for sneaking food into the movie theaters. They got out of the vehicles and made their way to the entrance. Ren grabbed a shopping cart on their way in and led them all to where the decorations were.

“This is not as exciting as I thought it would be, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto stated, looking at a few strings of twinkle lights. He examined a little red-leafed plant in a silver ceramic pot. Holding the plant up, he waited until he got a nod of approval from Ren and put four in the cart; two for the loft and two for the reception area.

“I have a list,” Nagato announced with a mischievous air surrounding him, brandishing the papers he had recently printed out. “Wanna try it?” Konan snatched the papers from his hands before he could finish speaking.

“Fifty Fun Things to Do at Walmart,” she read out loud, giving the man a pointed stare.

“I heard some of the guys talking about that at school,” Hinata mentioned. After spending so much time around everyone, she rarely stuttered, only doing it when she spoke directly to Naruto. “It’s a list of pranks. People record what they do, up until they either complete the list or get kicked out, and upload it on the internet. So far, no one has managed to do it."

“We should do it,” Kim shouted excitedly, clutching the large purse tightly. Everyone aside from the Uchiha Brothers agreed. She pouted and looked in their direction. “Come on guys don’t be so lame." A smug smirk graced her lips. "Or are you too scared to take the challenge?” Just like she intended, they took the bait and agreed to do the list.

“I can record everything,” Hinata asserted as she pulled out her video camera and turned it on.

“What’s the first thing on the list,” Jade asked, siding up to the redhead in an attempt to read the list.

“Number one, take shopping carts for the express purpose of filling them and stranding them at strategic locations,” Nagato read, pursing is lips. “This one we can all do it together.”

They left Ren to finish the Christmas shopping alone, and went to grab a few shopping carts. Reaching the front of the store they each got a cart of their own. Walking around the store they filled their baskets up with random things they pulled off the shelves as they walked by. They put some of the carts to block off the entrances of the bathrooms in the front and the back, then they blocked a few of the isles that held things that people needed to buy every day.

“What’s next on the list,” Hana demanded, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“Number two, ride those little electronic cars at the front of the store,” Nagato read. He looked up, seeing if there were any volunteers.

“I wanna do that one, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted with an arm raised in the air.

“No,” Sakura said and Naruto was about to protest when she cut him off, “Itachi should do it.” Said man gave her a look of betrayal, he had been rooting for her.

“She’s right,” Hana said agreeing with the pinkette. “He has this serious look, that it would be hilarious to see him in one of those cars.” Everyone agreed with their logic.

Kim and Hana both grabbed one of Itachi’s arms and pulled him outside the store. They handed him a few quarters and, went to go stand a ways away from him with the others. On the inside Itachi was cursing up a storm. He walked over to where the rides were. Picking the red car, he put in two quarters and took at seat. People stopped to stare at him. Some girls stood there giggling as they watched him. He only stared straight ahead with his hands on the little wheel, and an impassive look on his face. When the car stopped he calmly got off and walked to where the others were laughing their asses off.

“What next,” Itachi ground out through gritted teeth. When Nagato was calm enough to speak he read the next one off the list.

“Number three, set all the alarm clocks to go off at ten minute intervals throughout the day,” he read. “We can all do this one.” Everyone ran back into the store and went directly to the isle that had all the clocks. It took them about fifteen minutes to get all the alarm clocks set to go off. When they finished Nagato pulled out the papers with the list again. He read the next one. “Number four, Start playing Calvinball; see how many people you can get to join in. What’s that?”

“I don’t know,” Jade responded. She looked to Kim, but the girl only held her hands up with a light shrug, silently saying she had no clue.

“We can substitute it with Tag,” Sakura offered, looking to the others for confirmation.

“Naruto’s it,” Sasuke shouted, smacking the boy on the shoulder. Everyone ran away from the confused blond.

“Teme! I don’t want to be it,” Naruto yelled as he chased after the others. They played for about ten minutes before the manager threatened them to calm down. They had also gotten three people and a bunch of little kids to join in on the game.

“Number five, contaminate the entire auto department by sampling all the spray air fresheners,” Nagato read out, causing Itachi to flinch at the unbidden memories of his first day at work. “I’m guessing we head to the auto department next.”

In the auto department, they all started to spray each other with the air fresheners before they started to sneeze like crazy from all the different scents in the air. Kakashi, Hana, and Pakkun had to vacate the area because of their extra sensitive noses while Itachi flat out refused for the sake of his sanity.

“Da nest one, we neeb da nest one,” Hana choked out from behind her hands as she handed the large tote bag back to Kim. The scent coming off the others making it hard to breathe and unlike Kakashi she didn't have a scarf to somewhat filter the air.

“Number six, challenge other customers to duels with tubes of gift wrap. Who wants this one?”

“I do,” Kim shouted jumping up and down. She handed the bag holding the little dog off to Kakashi, then dashed off to where the gift wrap was located. The others just followed after her at a much more sedate pace. When she made it to the cardboard bin. she pulled out two tubes of gift wrap out of the box, a blue one and a red one. When a group of collage guys walked passed her she started yelling, “I dare you to challenge me to a duel! I bet you guys can’t even take me on! I am the best after all!”

One of the guys took up the challenge. Too bad for Kim, he also happened to be the biggest in the group, his six foot four stature towering over Kim's small frame of five foot, four inches; he was a full foot taller than her. He plucked the blue tube of gift wrap out of her tiny hand, although, compared to him everything about her was tiny. He held the tube out as if it was a sword. She narrowed her eyes and followed suit.

“Bring it on, Shit-for-Brains,” Kim called out, and they began their duel. Her friends were cheering her on as his friends were doing the same for him. She blocked every one of his strikes, and got a few of her own in. The duel ended when Kim pushed he tube of gift wrap through the space between his side and his arm. He faked his death, and Kim danced around his ‘dead’ body. She helped him up and they both took a bow. He patted her on the head and shot a wink in her direction before he rejoined his group of friends. She turned to face her friends. “What’s next?”

“Number seven; leave cryptic messages on the typewriters? I guess laptops would serve the same purpose. Let’s go!”

‘The body is under the house on 23rd street.’

‘Meet me at the docks at 12 P.M. on December 17th.’

‘If you don’t finish the job, you will never see your daughter again.’

Those were some of the messages that they left on the test computers. They all walked calmly out of the electronics section as if they did not do anything out of the ordinary.

“Next,” Naruto yelled, dancing around his cousin.

“Number eight, re-dress the mannequins as you see fit-“

“I wanna do this one," Jade shouted before running off to the clothing department. She walked around looking at what clothes the store had to offer, picking out a few things that she liked before going to redress the mannequin that was placed at the front of the department. She pulled the mannequin to the ground behind a clothing rack, and got to work redressing it. When she put it back the other were giggling at what it was wearing. It wore mismatched stripped tube socks, an orange skirt, and the most hideous blue blouse they had ever seen. She had also added a fishing hat and a pair of sunglasses.

“Number nine, when there are people behind you, walk really slow, especially in narrow aisles,” Nagato read. “Who wants it?”

“I got it,” Deidara said. He walked around the store until he found a mother, who was in a rush to get out, with her two screaming children. They were in the food isle, which was packed with a lot of other people. He walked right in front of her, and stopped blocking her way out.

“Excuse me,” the tired mother called out.

“Oh, your excused,” Deidara replied, examining a box of cereal. The mother was starting to get frustrated, but she didn't want to come off as rude. The blond started to walk away, and she sighed in relief. Her frustration grew again when he started walking at an extremely slow pace. When she was out of the isle she raced to the check-out lines. She even hit the back of his foot with her cart. He limped back to the others with a scowl on his face. “What’s next, un?”

“Number ten, walk up to an employee and tell him in an official tone, “I think we’ve got a Code 3 in Housewares,” and see what happens. I’m going to do this one,” Nagato said as his eyes searched their immediate area. They walked around the store until they came across an employee. He walked up to him extruding an aura of importance. The man looked up at him. “I think we’ve got a Code 3 in Housewares.”

“Damn it! Not again! This has got to be the eighth time today! I’ll go get the mop,” the employee complained with sagging shoulders, a pained expression on his young exhausted face. He walked away muttering curses under his breath.

“I think it means a spill,” Nagato informed as he walked back to the group. “Number eleven, tune all the radios to a polka station; then turn them all off and turn the volumes to “10.” We can all do this one.” With that they all made their way towards where all the radios were kept.

“What’s the polka station,” Hinata asked confused, slowly going through the stations one by one.

“27.8,” Naruto answered, quickly finding the station. The boy received a handful of weird looks from the others before they turned back around to set the radios to the right stations. “Next!”

“Number twelve, play with the automatic doors.”

“I wanna do that one,” Deidara and Kim shouted at the same time. They both glared at each other. Kim moved her finger in a motion that meant she would slice his throat. Deidara backed away from her and hid behind his girlfriend. Kim blew him a kiss before running off to the front of the store.

‘It’s in the blood! It’s in the blood,’ was what Deidara chanted mentally as he watched her walk away.


	33. Nagato's List Part 2

“Number thirteen; walk up to complete strangers and say, “Hi! I haven’t seen you in so long!” etc. See if they play along to avoid embarrassment. Who’s going to do this one,” Nagato asked, eyeing the one person who had yet to take a turn. Everyone turned to face the white haired man of the group.

“What,” Kakashi asked, looking at them with feigned confusion etched onto his face. He had been avoiding this moment.

“Boss, you're next,” Pakkun said poking his head out of Jade’s purse, making some kids squeal excitedly at the sight of the little doggie. Nagato reread what he had to do, and Kakashi was off to find his victim. He found a random man who looked to be in his mid-to-late twenties.

“Hey! I haven’t seen you in so long,” he exclaimed, playing his part as he casually strode up to the man. The guy looked up at him, question marks seemingly spouting over his head.

“I don’t…" the man trailed off, not knowing what to do at the sudden arrival of the blond. It seemed he knew him from somewhere, but his mind drew a blank. "What’s your name again?”

“Kakashi, Kakashi Hatake. We went to high school together," Kakashi explained coming to a stop before his target. He couldn't see the others, aside from Kim, but he knew they were watching, making sure he played his part. "I was the transfer student from Japan. We had gym class together, and I ended up breaking my arm when we tried to ditch class and escape through the window.”

“That’s right! Kashi, how could I forget you? I’m really sorry about your arm though.” Why did he have to play along? Why couldn't he have just walked away and called him a freak? "I never really was the best climber."

“It’s alright."

“What brings you back here? Last I heard you went back to Japan.”

“Oh I got lost on the road of life and ended up here, and decided not to leave.” He made brief eye contact with Kim, silently pleading for her to get him out of the strange situation. She avoided his stare and went to look at a rack of clothing.

“Ah! She’s a keeper," the man said, following the blond's gaze.

“Excuse me?” Kakashi's attention snapped back to the man, his neck popping in the process.

“The girl that’s keeping you here." He motioned to Kim with his shoulder. "It was nice catching up with you, but the wife is waiting on me.” The man clamped a hand down on the Hatake's shoulder, flashing him a sincere smile. "Oh, and congratulations on the baby." With that said he walked away.

“Kashi, how could I forget you,” Kim mocked as Kakashi walked over to her, only to stop when she saw the stricken expression her friend wore. "Are you okay?"

"You do realize where you're standing, right?" He watched as her dark eyes took in their surroundings, becoming more and more confused.  
  
"Babies are cute." He shot her a glare, to which she just smiled nervously. She didn't understand why standing in the baby department would weird out the man.

"Nevermind."

***

“Alright! Number fourteen, while walking through the clothing department, ask yourself, loud enough for all to hear, “Who buys this crap, anyway?” Who’s up to bat?”

“I’ve got it,” Konan said. She walked to the clothing department. Walking straight through she looked at all the clothes and made a face at what she saw. Then just loud enough for her voice to carry she asked herself, “Who buys this crap, anyway?” Some of the people that were looking at the clothes started to mutter and put the things that they were looking at back. The blue haired girl felt a little bad, it's not like there was anything wrong with the clothes. She walked back to the group. “Next?”

“Number fifteen, repeat number fourteen in the jewelry department.” He looked at the others questioningly.

Hana raised her hand and walked over to the jewelry department. She scanned the display cases with a look of distaste. Then loud enough for all to hear she complained, “Who buys this crap anyways? I mean if my boyfriend or husband were to buy me my Christmas present from here I would be pissed. If he really loves me he would by me something from Kay, Jared’s, or maybe even Tiffany’s. Not this cheap stuff.” The other women in the department looked at their husbands or boyfriends with expectantly. They women silently praised the brunette while the guys cursed her. “All done,” Hana chirped walking up to the group.

“You know, you only had one line,” Itachi reminded the girl.

“I know, but I wanted to make all those girl’s Christmas a little bit better,” she replied with a shy smile.

“Number sixteen ride a display bicycle through the store and claim you’re taking it for a “test drive.” Who gets to do this?” Hinata raised her hand shyly and blushed when everyone stared at her.

“Alright Hinata-chan! You’re such a rebel, dattebayo,” Naruto exclaimed as he draped an arm over her shoulders and led her to where the bikes were. Kim took the video camera out of her hand and trailed after them along with the others.

When they got the aisle behind the toy section with all the bikes, they worked on getting one down without drawing to much attention. They had pulled down an old-fashioned light purple bicycle with a little basket. The shy girl got on and started to ride it up and down the aisles. Then she started to go around the store before an employee stopped her in the beauty aisle.

“What do you think you’re doing,” he asked her.

“Taking it for a test drive,” she replied innocently. The guy sighed and asked her to get off, then went to go put the bike back where it was supposed to be. Naruto grabbed the shy girl’s hand a led her back to the where the others were.

“What’s next,” Naruto shouted, a skip in his step.

“Number seventeen, follow people through the aisles, always staying about five feet away. Continue to do this until they leave the department. Who gets to be a creeper?”

“I’ll do it,” Sakura said before she disappeared into the nearest aisle, which happened to be the shampoo aisle. She found an elderly couple and followed them. The old woman felt as if she was being watched, and when she looked up she saw a strange girl with pink hair looking at the shampoo selection. When they moved down another aisle, the girl with the odd hair color was still there. Whenever she caught the girl’s eye, the girl would smile brightly at her. The old woman grabbed her husband by the arm and dragged him out of the department in hopes of getting rid of the strange child.

“What was up with that smile," Jade asked, making Sakura hide her face in embarrassment. "It just screamed psycho murderer."

“Number eighteen, play soccer with a group of friends, using the entire store as your playing field. Someone get a soccer ball,” he shouted the last part. Naruto returned with a green soccer ball in hand.

“We should play girls against guys,” Kim suggested plucking the ball from Naruto’s hands. She bounced the ball on her knees, then dropping it to the floor, she kicked it towards Konan. The game began. They didn’t have any goals; they just played a version of keep away. A security guard went and broke them up before they could cause any damage to the store.

As they were all standing huddled together Nagato pulled out the list from his pocket.

“Number nineteen, as the cashier runs your purchases over the scanner, look mesmerized and say, “Wow. Magic!” Naruto I think this would be a good one for you,” he suggested to his cousin. The blond shrugged and walked over to the check-out lanes. He walked up to the one that had the same woman that Deidara had pissed off.

“Did you see that,” he asked the woman. “And that too? This is so cool! Wow! It’s like magic!” He had started clapping his hands jumping up and down in excitement. Then woman had a tired look on her face. She was wondering what she had done to be tormented by evil annoying blonds. When the teenager bagged the last of her things after she had paid, she high tailed it out of the store. “I think she hates us,” Naruto told Deidara. The other blond could only nod in agreement.

“Number twenty, put M&M’s on layaway. Sasuke you’re the only one that hasn’t done one yet, so you’re up.” Sasuke just shrugged and walked into the checkout lane, grabbed three dollars’ worth of M&M’s, and walked to customer service.

“I would like to put these on layaway,” Sasuke told the girl in a no nonsense tone of voice.

“Um… sir, I don’t think you can put M&M’s on layaway.” He glared at her, and the girl quickly scanned his items, and put them away in a plastic bag. “You can pay it in payments or in full whenever you like,” the girls squeaked out. Before she could start flirting with him he walked away. “Who’s next?”

“Number twenty-one, move “Caution: Wet Floor” signs to carpeted areas. Who-“Before he could finish Itachi grabbed a couple wet floor signs and moved them to the carpeted areas. Then he walked back to the group calmly. “Well I guess we move on to the next one then. Number twenty-two, set up a tent in the camping department; tell others you’ll only invite them in if they bring pillows from Bed and Bath. We can all do this one, and no Itachi you can’t get out of it.” The Uchiha frowned, but was pulled along by Hana.

In the center of the camping department, they pitched a large green tent. They had argued over what color it should be before Hinata got upset and grabbed a tent at random. Someone had gotten bricks from the garden department to weigh the tent down. They had also made a fake campfire and set up two collapsible camp chairs. Somehow they had all managed to fit inside the tent at the same time.

“Hey! Hey you!” The man that Kim was calling out to pointed to himself, clearly confused. “Yeah you, come over here, I have something to tell you. Okay, if you want to join us in here all you need to do is bring your own pillow from the bedding department.” Kakashi then stuck his head out.

“Hey it's you,” the man exclaimed. “I kind of figured out what was going on a little too late. Me and a couple of the guys talked about doing the list last week. Good luck finishing it.” Before he walked away with his wife, he gave Kakashi a thumbs up and a wink, making exaggerated motions towards the oblivious ebony haired girl beside him.

“Kashi, your friend ruined it,” Kim pouted, looking up at the man. Kakashi wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her back into the tent, a furious flush hidden by his scarf.

“Yeah Sensei,” Sakura added once everyone had settled down. “What’s next on the list?”

“Number twenty-three, test the fishing rods and see what you can “catch” from the other aisles. We can all do this one, and we are already in the outdoors department.” They all climbed out of the tent, leaving the marvelous campsite display, and went over to where the fishing rods were.

“I want the Barbie one,” Kim shouted.

“No, I want that one,” Jade shouted back running to where the display was. They started to argue about who should get the rod. When they got to loud Deidara intervened.

“I'll use this one, un,” he said taking the bright pink fishing rod from their hands.

“Well I guess it fits. The one who looks the most like Barbie should get the Barbie rod,” Jade said shrugging, leaving her boyfriend to pout over his choice. After that they both decided to get matching purple rods, and Kim got the pink fishing pole.

Soon the entire group broke off into pairs and went fishing.

“Number twenty-four, ask other customers if they have any Grey Poupon.”

Deidara walked nonchalantly down the aisles. He got weird looks from the others that he asked for Grey Poupon. Until he met one old man.

“Sir, do you have any Grey Poupon, un?”

“I’m sorry to say that I don’t young lady, but I have some mayo if you know what I mean.”

“I’m a boy,” Deidara replied offended, and disgusted.

“Well you should get a haircut, Hippie! And what’s with you grunting all the time, it gives people the wrong idea?”

“It’s a speech impediment, you nasty old geezer, un!” Before the blond could lose his temper Itachi and Nagato pulled him away kicking and screaming.

“Number twenty-five, drape a blanket around your shoulders and run around saying, “...I’m Batman. Come, Robin—to the Batcave!”

“I going to do that one,” Kim yelled getting excited. She grabbed a black blanket and tied it around her neck. Looking at Sasuke, she pulled the blanket to cover her mouth and in a deep voice said, “Come, Robin to the Batcave!”

“Why do you get to be Batman?” She fully zipped up her jacket and pulled the hood on. On the front of her gray jacket was a black Bat-symbol outlined in yellow, and on the hood were pointed bat ears. He disappeared for a second, and came back wearing a Superman shirt. “I’m Superman, so I can’t be Robin.”

“What the hell! You can’t do that!”

“I just did.”

“Jade loves me, she’ll be Robin. Right Jade?”

“Not that much. He dresses light a traffic light. Not to mention the scaly panties,” was Jade’s retort. “Nagato what’s the next one.”

“Number twenty-six, teepee as much of the store as possible. We can all do this one as we go. So moving on to number twenty-seven, randomly throw things over into neighboring aisles. We can do this one as we go too. Moving on to the next one. Number twenty-eight, play with the calculators so that they all spell “hello” upside down. Finally one that we can do.”

“Hey this calculator has letters, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto stated. “I love RAMEN,” he said as he spelled it out. “Teehee! What’s the next one?”

“Uh… Number twenty-nine, when someone asks if you need help, begin to cry and ask, “Why won’t you people just leave me alone?”

“I’ve got this,” Sakura said.

“You know when someone says ‘I’ve got this’ something bad always goes wrong,” Nagato explained. “Deidara said the same thing before he lost both of his arms.”

“I remember that,” Konan said, perking up.

“Hey! You didn’t have to bring that up, un! And it was his fault,” he cried, pointing at Kakashi.

“You killed the Kazekage,” the white haired man retorted before returning to his book, which Kim plucked out of his hands and placed it in the large purse she held.

“Details and he came back to life, un.”

“Whatever, I will do this one,” Sakura stated, walking away. She walked into the freezer section of the store. Looking at everything with a look of confusion on her face. An older man in his mid-thirties walked over to her.

“Do you need any help sweetie?”

“Why won’t you people just leave me alone,” she cried, crocodile tears falling from her eyes. The people around them started to give the man dirty glares. The same old lady that Sakura had previously stalked, walked over to them. She began to hit the man with her purse.

“Shoo! Get out of here! Leave this poor girl alone,” she shouted at the man, hitting him with her purse until he went away. The old woman spoke to Sakura in a soothing tone. “Are you alright dearie? That man didn’t try to hurt you did he?” Sakura shook her head no. Her shoulders were shaking, not from crying but from her suppressed laughter. The woman mistook it for the former. “It’s okay. Did you come here with anyone,” the girl nodded, “Alright let’s go find them.”

Itachi and Kim pushed Sasuke forward, whispering words of encouragement in his ear. He glared at his siblings and stalked off to go retrieve Sakura from the old lady.

“Oh look dearie is that one of your friends there,” the woman said pointing to Sasuke. She got the affirmative for the pinkette. “He’s a handsome young fellow. Definitely a keeper,” she whispered causing the girl to blush. “Don’t let him get away.” Sasuke had heard her and smirked.

“It’s not like that between us. We’re just friends.” That caused him to frown. He would just have to work that much harder to win back her affection. When they got back to the group Nagato was reading off the next thing on the list.

“Number thirty, when two or three people are walking ahead of you, run between them, yelling, “Red Rover!” Naruto I choose you,” he yelled, throwing an imaginary ball at the boy. Naruto saluted him with an "Aye, sir!" and ran off.

“Red Rover! Red Rover,” Naruto yelled as he ran between a couple that was holding hands. He pushed them apart with a little too much force and nocked the guy down on his behind.

“You little shit! Get back here,” the girl screeched chasing after the blond. He screamed and ran to hide behind Konan. “Tell this little shit that he shouldn’t push people!”

“Don’t insult him, you slut,” Hinata told the girl, surprising everyone. The girl back down and walked away in a huff after the pale eyed girl glared at her.

“GO Hinata,” the girls cheered.

“She’s silent but deadly,” Nagato commented, a proud grin on his face.

“Did you just compare her to a fart,” Hana asked causing everyone to stare at him. He blushed and pulled out the list.

“Number thirty-one, make up nonsense products and ask newly hired employees if there are any in stock, i.e., “Do you have any Shnerples here?”

“I’m doing this one,” Jade said, jumping off of Deidara's back in search of an easy target. Hm… He looks like a new guy, she thought staring at an employee. He looked to be about sixteen, awkward looking, a shaved head, and possibly an idiot. She strutted over to him. “Hey do have any Shnerples or Blapples here?”

“Uh…” that was the only thing that could come out of the teen's mouth. He eyed her hungrily. “Wait here?” He walked over to the phone behind one of the checkout counters. “Can I have some assistance? Do we have any Shnerples or Blapples in stock,” his voice rang out through the store. When he looked up again, Jade was nowhere in sight.

“I think he’s going to get fired,” Itachi commented, watching the boy panic.

“Well it’s his fault for being an idiot,” Jade replied.

“Number thirty-two, take up an entire aisle in Toys by setting up a full scale battlefield with G.I. Joes vs. the X-Men, and number thirty-three, take bets on the battle described above.”

“Can it be a battle between the Justice League and The Avengers? The justice League would so kick The Avengers’ collective asses,” Kim asked with a look of determination, tiny hands clenched into fists.

“No,” Sasuke said. “It will be a battle between Superman and Batman.”

“Bring it on, ya little booger,” Kim yelled in his face.

“Let’s do this, ya giant booger! Superman will defeat Batman.”

With those proud declarations, the two ran to the toy aisle. Once there, they pulled Batman and Superman action figures off the shelves and carefully opened the packages before taking seats on the ground. Some of the little kids along with their parents watched on curiously.

“Superman is the man of steel. There is no way a human can defeat him.”

“You don’t know what Batman has in his utility belt,” Kim shot back, pulling out a Batarang and making Batman throw it at Superman. Sasuke made him fly out of the way.

“Even if that hit him it would only tear his suit,” Sasuke taunted. A crowd was beginning to gather around the two teens. A few of the others were walking around taking bets. Kim threw fake blue gem stones on the ground.

“Green Kryptonite causes him pain, Red Kryptonite takes away his inhibitions, but blue Kryptonite takes away his powers,” Kim explained.

“All I have to do is stay away and I’ll be fine. Besides I have long range attacks, and Batman can’t even fly.”

“Kid hand me that over there,” she asked a little kid, pointing towards something high on a shelf. He came back with a giant smile and a package in hand. Kim opened the package and took out its contents. She placed her Batman in the little jet. “Superman meet the Batwing!” She shot projectiles at the flying Superman. Under her breath she muttered, "not to be confused with Luke Fox."

“Guys the manager is coming,” Jade called frantically. They dropped their toys on the floor and took off running, and took cover in the bedding department.

“Alright number thirty-four, nonchalantly “test” the brushes and combs in Cosmetics. Hana you have the longest hair, you do this one.”

Hana walked over to where the combs and brushes were hanging on a wall. She took out her ponytail and her hair fell down to her upper thigh. Pulling a brush off the shelf she started to brush through her long hair. She did it until she saw an employee fast approaching her, then she ran.

“Number thirty-five, while handling guns in the hunting department, suddenly ask the clerk if he knows where the anti-depressants are.” Everyone turned their heads to look at Sasuke.

“Why is everyone looking at me?” It was like everyone had suddenly become mute. “Fine, I’ll do it,” he bemoaned and walked over to the designated area. He picked up one of the rifles that was on display, and started to mess around with it. The entire time he had a serious expression on his face.

“Can I help you,” the clerk asked coming around corner, hoping for an easy sell.

“Yeah, can you point me to where the antidepressants are,” he asked, keeping his face blank. The clerk panicked. He snatched the rifle out of Sasuke’s hands and was getting ready to call security. When he looked up to check on the boy, he was gone.

“Shut up,” Sasuke growled out when he walked up to the groups of laughing idiots. Even his brother was laughing at him. “What’s then next one?”

“Number thirty-six, hold indoor shopping cart races. Let’s skip this one it doesn’t sound that much fun. Number thirty-seven, dart around suspiciously while humming the theme from Mission: Impossible. Does anyone know what this is?” Everyone said no. “Number thirty-eight, attempt to fit into very large gym bags. We can also do number thirty-nine attempt to fit others into very large gym bags, too. Let’s go!”

The only one who had fit in a gym bag was Kim, with her being the smallest and most flexible. She didn't appreciate it when Sasuke lifted the bag up and over his shoulder, and proceeded to run up and down the aisles. Nor did she appreciate it when everyone took turn dragging her across the floor.

Konan snatched the list away from her best friend and read, “Number forty, say things like, “Would you be so kind as to direct me to your Twinkies?” Hinata your up!"

Hinata handed Konan the video camera and walked up to a group of rowdy middle school boys. When they caught sight of her hearts appeared in their wide eyes. “Would you be so kind as to direct me to your Twinkies?” Their jaws dropped. One kid thought his pants were starting fit him a little tight, another sported a nose bleed, and another had fainted. After they did not reply Hinata walked away from them. When she reached the others she asked, “Should we call an ambulance?”

“No he’ll be alright,” Naruto said, narrowing his eyes at the once rowdy boys. Sasuke smirked at him when the boy all but growled, “next one?”

“Right!” Konan handed Hinata back her video camera. “Number forty-one, set up a “Valet Parking” sign in front of the store. Let’s go!”

They got to the front, and set up a podium. Kakashi had got a poster board from the arts and crafts department. Jade had used a tube of blood red lipstick that she had found in her purse to write on the poster and wrote ‘Valet Parking, $5’ on it. Kim stole the lipstick from her and put some on. A bunch of people paid the fee and gave them their car keys. They parked the cars at the way back of the parking lot.  After a while they got bored, and gave all the keys to the manager.

“Number forty-two, two words: “Marco Polo.” How do you play that?” Naruto explained it to her. After that they played the game for a few minutes. They only stopped because they kept running into things and other people. Nagato snatched the list back from her, giving her a look.

“Number forty-three, leave Cheerios in Lawn and Garden, pillows in the pet food aisle, etc. We can do this as we go. Number forty-four, we can all do this one; “re-alphabetize” the CD’s in Electronics.” They made quick work of that one. “Number forty-five, in the auto department, practice your “Madonna” look with various funnels. I wanna do this one.” With that he walked towards the auto department. He picked up two large funnels out of a basket, and hopped on top of a stack of tires. He placed them over his chest and started voguing.

“Hey there, we should go see Madonna together sometime,” a guy called out to him, giving the redhead a flirty smile. Nagato panicked, still not used to the attention, and walked back to the group.

“I didn’t know you swung that way,” Konan joked, fighting the urge to give the stranger the nastiest paper cut the world has ever seen. He glared at her. She glared back, and he looked away clearing his throat.

“Number forty-six," the Uzumaki man squeaked, his voice returning to normal as he continued, "when someone steps away from their cart to look at something, quickly make off with it without saying a word.” Jade was the one to do it.  When she got back, they could hear a faint ‘Where the fuck did my basket go?’  “Number forty-seven, relax in the patio furniture until you get kicked out.”

“Let’s go laze around,” Kim suggested with a shrug, leading the way.

They sat at a patio table with an umbrella.

Nagato was reading over the last things on the list. “We only have three more things left to do,” he told them. “Sasuke number forty-nine is pay off layaways fifty cents at a time. You should get started on this one. Now we only have two more.” Soon an employee came and asked them to leave. “Number forty-eight, when an announcement comes over the loudspeaker, assume the fetal position and scream, “No, no! It’s those voices again!” Sakura gets this.”

Sakura said that she couldn’t do it because there were no announcements. Then Naruto asked one of the cashiers to page someone for him.

“Can Andre Wilson come to the front? Can Andre Wilson come to the front? Your older brother is looking for you.”  

When Sakura head the announcement, she dropped to the ground and assumed the fetal position. “No, no! It’s those voices again,” she cried rocking back and forth. People were stopping to stare at her. All of a sudden she hopped up to her feet. “Phew, I’m alright now. The voices went away.” Then she calmly walked back to the others. “I hate you all.”

“The last one. Kakashi this one is yours. Number fifty, drag a lounge chair on display over to the magazines and relax. If the store has a food court, buy a soft drink; explain that you don’t get out much, and ask if they can put a little umbrella in it.”

“There isn’t a food court here, so all you have to do is get a lounge chair and read magazines,” Kim told him. He nodded and walked over to where the lounge chairs were. He carried to where all the books and magazines were and sat down. He grabbed a magazine off the shelf and sat down relaxing.

“What are you guys doing,” a stern voice called out from behind them. "Well?" Nearly everyone felt a shiver run down their spines. Kakashi just waved at the man, knowing he could get away with anything.

“Hey dad," Kim greeted slowly, turning on her heel to face her doom. "Where have you been?”

“Picking out all the Christmas decorations for the past two hours," Ren hissed at his assembled group of delinquents. "It’s getting late, so let’s pay and then we can go pick out a tree."

“I want a big one,” Jade shouted, stretching her arm high over her head. Everyone shrugged and they went to go pay, pick out a tree, and then finally return to the loft.


	34. The Game

The month of December passed in a blur. Before they even knew it they were celebrating Christmas and exchanging gifts. Deidara had given Jade a pair of gold brushed rose earrings. Nagato had gotten Konan a navy blue woven bracelet with amber colored beads weaved throughout it, and a large powder blue flower, similar to the one she wore in her hair, on the center.

The only problem there was, was with the mistletoe. Kim had gotten stuck under the mistletoe with Hinata more than once, and they took it like champs and kissed every time; Hinata having initiated the first kiss, stating that it really wasn't the first time. When Naruto and Sasuke got stuck under there, they refused to kiss. No one let them leave until they did so, and the next morning all the mistletoe had been taken down and burned.

They were all sitting around the living room Christmas evening after eating dinner. They were watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, while drinking Ren’s special Mexican hot chocolate.

“So guys,” Ren called out, getting everyone's attention, though most didn't look away from the movie. “What do you guys think about spending New Years in Mexico?” That got certainly got their attention.

“M-Mexico,” Jade managed to sputtered out, hot chocolate dribbling down her chin.   
  
“Yeah, well not exactly Mexico, but an island just off the coast of Guatemala. I thought it would be nice to get out of town for a while," the man explained, gauging their reactions. "I did some research and found this resort that had its own water park and a spa. It looked good, and it's even located on a private beach."

“Yes,” Kim and Jade exploded at the same time, his daughter jumping to her feet.

“Wait,” Kim said, halting her dancing. “How are we going to get there? Jade’s car can’t take the mileage, we won’t all fit in your truck, and I refuse to get on a plane.”

“Why won’t you get on a plane,” Itachi asked.

“She has a fear of planes, and heights,” Jade responded, looking back to Ren expectantly.

“I already thought of that," Ren reassured his daughter, trying not to laugh at her panicked expression. "I’m going to get a rental van for the trip. No Jade, it’s not one of those soccer mom vans. It’s a van that seats up to twelve people." He looked over to his daughter with distaste. "Kinda like the one you heathens used to ride to get to Sunday school, before you got kicked out for referring to yourself as the Spawn of Satan."

Kim giggled. "That old woman called me the Anti-Christ, I just went with it."

“But there’s thirteen of us, ‘ttebayo," Naruto asked seeing the look on Ren's face, and trying to avoid the awkward father-daughter argument that was sure to happen.

“For once, the idiot is right,” Sasuke said. Before Naruto could utter a word Ren spoke again.

“Well I guess one of you will have to sit on someone’s lap.” He didn't really care, since he was going to be either driving or in the passenger's seat.

“Fine, but it’s winter and we don’t have swimsuits,” Kim stated. The last swimsuit she owned was a blue one-piece she last wore when she was ten.

“Don’t worry about that, I’ve already taken care of it," Jade assured with a wave of her hand. "Remember when we went on a shopping spree with my father’s stolen credit card? I wanted to be prepared, so I bought us some, but no one can see them until we get there."

"I can always go to the gift shop," Kim muttered with a pout, leaning into Kakashi's side, the man patting her on the head.

“When are we leaving,” Nagato asked.

“Tomorrow morning. We’ll be staying there until next Sunday. So pack your bags and make sure you don’t forget anything,” Ren informed as he walked to his room.

That night the ninja had sealed their weapons in scrolls after Ren had told them that the border patrol would search the vehicle for them, though his intention was for them to just leave them behind. Being ninja they were trained to expect the unexpected, and refused to leave their weapons behind. Jade had stolen scrolls from Deidara, and sealed away practically her entire closet along with everyone else’s’. If Mexico were to suddenly be hit with a snow storm they would be prepared.

After threats of bodily harm and Deidara rationalizing that it would look suspicious if they traveled with empty bags, Jade relinquished the other's clothes and left them to pack their duffle bags and suitcases on their own.

Ren decided to show them all the van they would be traveling in. He stood with his arms spread wide, showcasing the van.

“Dad it’s a white van,” Kim stated when she saw the van that they were going to spend twenty-eight hours in.

“What’s wrong with the color,” Ren asked confused.

“It’s the pedo-mobile,” Jade dubbed the van.

“The what?” Ren was still as confused as ever.

“Honestly dad, don’t you watch TV? The pedophiles always drive white vans,” Kim explained. How could he not know that?

Naruto burst out laughing at the sudden mental image he got of Orochimaru driving a white van with a large smile on his face, and Sasuke bound and gagged in the back. When he calmed down enough, he explained to the others what was so funny, making everyone laugh at the younger Uchiha’s expense.

In the end, Ren had to trade in the van, and got a black one that had twelve seats.

“They also drive ice cream trucks. They try to lure out the kids with promises of sweet treats and then they nab them,” Jade added, trying to be helpful.

The shinobi all pictured Orochimaru driving an ice cream truck with a smile on his face, and luring Sasuke out with ice cream. Poor Sasuke, the guy could never catch a break. He didn't even like sweets.

***

It was at nine in the morning when everyone had woken up, and gotten ready to leave. No one wanted to get dressed only to spend practically a day and a half in a van, and opted to wear lounge clothes. They put all their bags in the back of the van, and then gathered to discuss seating arrangements.

“I call shotgun,” Kim shouted, running towards the van. She had just gotten the door open when Nagato came up from behind her, lifted her and put her down off to the side.

“Sorry tiny, maybe next time,” Nagato told her from the front seat. He had already closed the door.

“Wasn’t Tiny the name of your dog as a kid,” Konan asked. Kim said nothing, and it worried the redhead.

Ren was driving, and Nagato was in the passenger’s seat. Kim ended up sitting in the seat behind Nagato, with Konan next to her, and Kakashi by the window. Itachi, Hana, and Deidara with Jade in his lap, were in the seats behind them. In the backseat, Hinata and Sakura had to sit in between Naruto and Sasuke who stared grumpily out their windows.

“Stop kicking my seat,” Nagato hissed, straining against his seatbelt to glare at the girl.

“Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn’t aware that I was doing anything,” Kim replied with a face of pure innocence.

"Listen you little-"

"Hey, whatever happened to Coco," the dark eyed girl asked, raising an eyebrow at the redhead.

“Hey Kim,” Jade diverted the girl's attention much to the relief of everyone in the van. They didn't need to hear Nagato moan over the loss of his dog. Coco turned out to be named Lucy, and she belonged to a, spoiled in the older Uzumaki's opinion, eight year old girl. When he and Konan had gone to take the dog to the park a few days before Jade's birthday, the child's mother recognized the furry creature and immediately explained what had happened. Pictures and the fact that the dog responded to Lucy, proved that Coco was indeed the missing family pet. In the end, Nagato had to give up his companion to the bawling child, and proceeded to spend the next few day sulking.

“What," Kim snapped as she was forced to trade seats with Konan. When she made another attempt to kick the redhead's seat, Kakashi lifted her up, slid to the middle and placed her down in his previous seat.

“Haven’t we met before,” Jade asked jokingly.

“Yes, I’m the receptionist at the V.D. Clinic,” Kim replied catching on. Then she asked, “Haven’t I seen you someplace before?”

“Yeah, that’s why I don’t go there anymore.”

“You two are idiots,” Ren muttered, attempting to pass up a slow driver.

“You're just jealous,” Jade said as she and Kim stuck their tongues out at him. Then she turned back to Kim. “I’d like to call you. What’s your number?”

“It’s in the phone book.”

“But I don’t know your name.”

“That’s in the phone book, too.”

“I wanna play too, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto shouted.

“Okay, all you have to do is come up with a pick-up line, and another person has to come up with a comeback. The person who answers has to come up with another, and then it goes on like that,” Jade explained the game.

“Okay! Um… oh I know. If I could see you naked, I’d die happy, dattebayo!” Sakura was about to bash him on the head.

“Yeah, but if I saw you naked, I’d probably die laughing,” Kim retorted. “How do you like your eggs in the morning?”

“Unfertilized!” Hinata was the one to answer. She blushed when everyone turned to look at her. “I want to give myself to you.”

“Sorry, I don’t accept cheap gifts,” Konan replied. ““Hey, baby, What’s your sign?”

“Stop.” It was Nagato that time. “I’m here to fulfill your every sexual fantasy.”

“You mean you’ve got both a Jell-O filled pool and a jump rope,” Kim asked. They all looked at her funny, and she only shrugged. “Hey cutie, how ’bout you and I hitting the hot spots?”

“Sorry, I don’t date outside my species,” Deidara said smirking. Kim glared at him. “I would go to the end of the world for you.”

“Yes, but would you stay there,” Hana asked. “May I see you pretty soon?”

“Why? Don’t you think I’m pretty now?” Everyone turned to stare at Itachi, not expecting that from the stoic man. “I would go to the end of the world for you.”

“Yes, but would you stay there?” Deidara thought for a moment. “Your body is like a temple.”

“Sorry, there are no services today.” That time it was Sakura. “I’d go through anything for you.”

“Good! Let’s start with your bank account,” Konan chirped. “What sign were you born under?”

“No Parking,” Kakashi said, deciding to join in. “Is this seat empty?”

“Yes and this one will be too if you sit down,” Hana came back. “Ugh, I can’t think of one!"

“What are the worst pick-up line you’ve ever heard,” Ren suggested. At the very least they weren't fighting anymore.

“I’m new in town, could I have directions to your house,” Sasuke said. They gave him looks. He gave them a one worded answer that explained everything. “Fangirls.”

“At the hospital back home some guy told me this one. "Hi, my name is Pogo; want to jump on my stick,” Sakura shared.

“At work some random guy came up to me and said ‘Hey baby, what’s your sign? Caution, slippery when wet, dangerous curves ahead, yield?’ I almost hit him,” Kim said. After that one they all started saying the worst pick-up lines they had been told or just made one up.

“Your name must be Daisy, because I have the incredible urge to plant you right here!”

“Roses are red, violets are blue, I like spaghetti, let’s go screw.”

“Just call me milk; I’ll do your body good.”

“I may not be Fred Flintstone, but I bet I can make your Bed Rock.”

“My love for you is like the energizer bunny, it keeps going and going.”

“That shirt looks very becoming on you, but if I were on you, I’d be coming too.”

“I enjoy doing maintenance; you look like someone I would like to “tinker” around with.”

“If you were a new hamburger at McDonald’s, you would be McGorgeous.”

“Is that Windex? Because I can see myself in your pants.”

“I’m a bird watcher and I’m looking for a Big Breasted Bed Thrasher, have you seen one?”

“I wish you were a Pony Carousel outside Walmart, so I could ride you all day long for a quarter.”

“Wanna Play House? You be the screen door and I’ll slam you all night long.”

“If you’re going to regret this in the morning, we can sleep until the afternoon.”

“Oh, I’m sorry; I thought that was a braille name tag.”

“Excuse me, do you have your phone number, I seem to have lost mine.”

“If your left leg was Thanksgiving and your right leg Christmas, can I visit you between the Holidays?”

“You look like a girl that has heard every line in the book, so what’s one more going to hurt?”

“Fuck me if I’m wrong, but is your name Yolanda?”

“I love every bone in your body—especially mine.”

“I lost my bed, can I borrow yours?”

“You must be Jamaican, because Jamaican me crazy.”

“My recipe for love is one cup of you, one cup of me, knead till hard, and serve hot.”

“You be the tree, and I’ll wrap you like a Koala.”

 “Do you have a quarter? My mother told me to call home when I met the girl of my dreams.”

 “I can’t find my puppy; can you help me find him? I think he went into this cheap motel room.”

“Want to play conductor? You be the engineer and I’ll go choo choo.”

“You must be Jelly, cause jam don’t shake like that.”

“The fact that I’m missing my teeth just means that there’s more room for your tongue.”

 “Hi, my name is Skippy, like the peanut butter I stick to the roof of your mouth.”

They had to stop at the Mexican-American border at around lunchtime. There they had the car searched for anything suspicious before they could move along. Once across the border, they decided to stop in the border town for lunch. Ren and Kim could speak fluent Spanish thanks to their heritage, but they were not prepared for the speed the woman taking their orders spoke. "Tacos y gorditas y..."

Sometime after that, in the early evening, almost everyone started dancing and singing along to ‘Call Me Maybe’ by Carly Rae Jepson. Hinata had recorded it all.

Ren had gotten tired and had asked Nagato to drive at some time around eight. Nagato had misheard the directions on the GPS, and had taken them way off course. After arguing with Nagato to stop and ask for directions, Kim finally kicked him out of the driver’s seat and took the wheel. When she passed a gas station she stopped and asked for directions while everyone loaded up on bottled drinks and junk food, the biggest can of Red Bull she could find and a bag of beef jerky. With everyone back in the van, she got them back on track and continued to drive for another eight hours before switching off.

Kim pulled into a gas station at a quarter to five in the morning. Once everyone was back in the van after relieving themselves and picking up more snacks, Jade took the wheel. To prevent any arguments between the redhead and the black haired girl, Konan sat in the middle of the seat with Nagato to her left, while Kakashi pulled the girl onto his lap as she fell asleep curled into his left side. The blond drove for five hours, before switching off with a fully rested Ren.

Five hours later, they started to catch glimpses go the ocean glistening in the distance. Finding a place to park the van, Ren lead his group of cramped and exhausted delinquents on a short walk to a restaurant for a late lunch. Pulling out the brochure, Ren read through it. He asked a waitress how to get to the ferry that would take them to the island resort, only to find that they had just missed it and the next ride over wouldn't be until six as it was a two hour trip.

They ate their meals in silence, a rarity since the arrival of the ninja. But it was expected, they were all tired. After paying for their food, they were left with four hours until they could catch the ferry. For three of those hours the large group spend them wandering the streets of the small coast town. With once hour to spare, they piled into the van and made their way to the line for the ferry. It took an hour for the boat to be completely boarded, and then they were off. With the van parked in the designated area, everyone made their way to the deck, enjoying the fresh air.

The water was illuminated by the glow of the moon, as was the white sand. They drove down the ramp and up the long road that was lined with palm trees that led them to the entrance of the resort. They had arrived at the resort five hours later than scheduled. From what they could see in the dark, the resort was enormous. The entire building was made out of white stone. In the distance they could see the tops of the tallest roller-coasters and waterslides.

Everyone was too tired when they got their things off of the van. Carrying their respective bags they all walked into the lobby. Ren walked up to the check-in desk. The receptionist handed him an envelope that contained all the key card he requested. After that, he led them to the elevator that would take them to their rooms. The room was on the top floor. It was a presidential suite.

The room was beautiful and large. It was bigger than the loft. The floors were a cream colored polished stone. There was a living room area and a kitchen area with a large round dining room table. In the living room there was a large flat screen TV, and sunset orange couches and matching arm chairs chairs. There were seven rooms in total with queen sized beds and their own bathrooms. The rooms were all decorated the same way. The back wall, where the beds were pushed up against, was painted the same sunset orange. The beds had soft white sheets, a mountain of pillows, some were white and some were orange, there was an orange blanket folded on the foot of the bed, and above the beds were white canopies. In front of the beds were wooden benches. There were dresser, made of polished cinder oak, was pushed up against the wall in front of the beds with a small flat screen TV on top. Only two of the rooms had views of the beach. Those rooms had blackout curtains.

“I call the room with a view,” Kim shouted running towards the rooms, struggling to pull her suitcase and duffle bag along.

“I’m bunking with Kim,” Sakura yelled running after the girl.

“Dad, can I bunk with Dei,” Jade begged Ren. “I promise we won’t do anything.”

“I really don’t care who you bunk with, because I trust you,” Ren told her. “But I’m getting the other room with the view.” With that he ran off. Nagato and Konan shared a room, Kakashi and Naruto, Hinata and Hana, and Sasuke and Itachi. They all took their belongings to their rooms and collapsed onto their beds, and slept in until noon.


	35. Spa Day

“I don’t want to share a bed with Kim anymore,” Sakura groaned, rubbing her sore lower back as she walked over to take a seat at the dinner table where the others were there eating a late lunch. “What’s for lunch?”

“Whatever you want,” Hinata told her, gesturing to the array of Guatemalan and El Salvadoran food along with in-season fruit and drinks spread out on the table. "Though, I recommend the coconut milk chicken."

"Try the horchata," Itachi insisted, taking a drink of the sweet cinnamon-flavored rice drink.

“Why don’t you want to share a room with Kim anymore,” Jade asked after she swallowed a mouthful of lemonade.

“She moves so much in her sleep, and she almost pushed me off the bed last night,” the pink haired girl replied, head falling on the table in exhaustion.

“Yeah, she does that,” Jade said, not exactly feeling sorry for the girl. Not entirely. She felt for the younger girl, sure, but at the same time she was glad she didn't have to experience sharing a bed with her restless-sleeper of a best friend again.

“If you want, I can trade rooms with you and you can bunk with Hinata,” Hana offered. “Because I’m sure you wouldn’t want to share a room with one of the guys.”

“She can bunk with me, and the Basstard can bunk with his sister, dattebayo,” Naruto exclaimed, then under his breath he stage whispered, "He can't be trusted."

“Moron,” nearly everyone at the table muttered, silently agreeing with him. Sasuke just sat there seething at Naruto accusations with red ears, stabbing at the tomatoes on his plate.

“Who’s bunking with who,” Kim asked as she made her way to the table, yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

“I’m switching rooms with Sakura, and moving in with you,” Hana told her.

“Okay,” Kim said with a shrug, taking a seat at the table beside her father. Staring intently at Jade through squinted eyes, the girl noted, “ your roots are really red.” Reaching out a hand, she ran her fingers through the other girl's two-toned hair. "This is the same color as Nagato’s hair. Since when is your hair red?”

“It’s always been red. I guess I forgot to dye it,” Jade said, remembering that in all the time she had know her best friend her hair had always been dirty blonde.

“I like it,” Deidara told her, nuzzling his nose in her coconut scented hair. “It suits you more than the blonde, un.” Jade smiled, and the other girls awed at the fluffiness of the moment.

“What are we doing today,” Konan asked a few minutes later as everyone was finishing their lunch.

“I was reading through the brochure earlier, and I was thinking of spending the day at the spa. They even have a beauty salon, and offer waxing,” Jade informed, the idea of relaxing at the spa after spending nearly thirty hours cramped in the van... well, it sounded heavenly. “I think I might get a bikini wax."

"I want a nice, long massage," Kim purred, stretching her arms out and over her head.

“That sounds like fun, ‘ttebayo! Can we all go,” Naruto asked excitedly.

“Of course you can all come, but I think you all should skip out on the waxing, especially on the bikini wax,” Konan warned the men.

“Why,” Nagato asked.

“It hurts a lot,” Kim explained, "Especially if you're not used to it."

“Oh, so you don’t think we can handle the pain,” Deidara muttered darkly, then with his head tilted in confusion, asked, "What’s a bikini wax, un?” The girls and Ren struggled against the urge to face palm. Jade whispered into his ear what it was and the blond turned as red as Nagato’s hair. “Why they hell would you put yourselves through that?!” When the guys asked him what it was, he told them. They all assured them that they could handle the pain, because they were shinobi and had been through worse.

After they were finished with their lunch, they, including Ren, got directions to where the spa was located and made their way over. The spa had its own building located on the beach; it made giving massages on the beach much more convenient. When they entered the dingle story building, a female employee greeted them warmly, directed them to the changing rooms and gave them keys to their lockers. They changed into the robes that were provided along with the flip flops they had brought along and placed their clothes in the lockers before walking back to the front. The same woman handed them a treatment menu and a glass of cucumber-honeydew water.

“We should start off with the painful stuff like the waxing,” Jade suggested as she looked over the treatment menu. “Then we should go on to the sauna, mani-pedis and facials, massages then go for a soak in the indoor hot springs." She nodded to herself, liking the schedule she came up with. "After that we can all go back to the room for dinner.” She walked over to the woman who was standing behind the desk. She was the same woman as before. “Excuse me, but we would like to start off…” After she had explained everything, she looked at the woman’s face, she appeared to be confused.

“Jade, I don’t think she speaks English,” Kim told the girl as walked up to the woman and retold her everything that Jade had said in Spanish. The woman nodded and started typing something onto the computer. When she finished she led them all to a room with a smile on her face.

The room was plain white stone with pictures of waterfalls and local flora along with a list of treatments, in both English and Spanish hanging on the walls. There were about ten beds that were hidden from view by wooden room dividers on the back wall. In the front were salon chairs where people could get their hair done however they pleased.

“How the heck was I supposed to know she didn’t speak English,” Jade ranted when they were alone in the room.

“We’re in Guatemala, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto stated. "Spanish is the official language of all Central American countries, except for Belize. Their official language is English."

Kim gestured in the blond boy’s direction with sharp cutting arm motions. Jade just glared.

“Oh... well," Jade continued as if Naruto had not just spoken. She turned to face all the guys with an evil glint in her hazel-green eyes. "Who’s getting waxed first? Which one of you guys is man enough to get a bikini wax?”

“Babe, trust me I can handle it,” Deidara said smirking.

“Yeah, we can, but its ladies first,” Nagato said, motioning for them to go on ahead.

“Oh, now he chooses to act like a gentlemen,” Konan mocked to the other girls as they went to go take seats in the back after in forming the man at the desk of their preferred treatments.

“Kim, come on,” Sakura called to the girl who was the only one that stood back. The other girls stopped to look at her. She whispered something that they all missed. Jade rolled her eyes.

“She’s a freak with no excess body hair. Kind of like a hairless cat,” Jade explained. Everyone rose their eyebrows at that. “Lucky bitch.” The other girls had to agree with her on that.

“Do you really not have any excess body hair,” Kakashi whispered once they were alone, surprise evident in his voice. Did she have some sort of medical condition? When she didn’t reply, he tried to diffuse the awkwardness of the situation and joked, “You really are a weird one.”

“Shut up,” Kim retorted, her face tuning a deep red. Did the man not realize what he was asking her about? Biting her lip, she muttered, "My mom had me get laser hair removal. It destroys the hair follicles, so I'm pretty much hair free aside from my head, eyebrows, and..." her next words made Kakashi very much aware of why she had hesitated in answering him. "What excess hair I do have, I maintain it myself. I don't want anyone else to do it for me."

"S...S-Sorry," came tumbling out of the man's lips. "I didn't exactly think that through. Not that I spend time thinking about your body- Uh... I mean, I do think about your body, I need to in order to train you properly. Not that your body isn't worth thinking about... it's, uh... never mind." He was an idiot.

Soon it was the their turn to head to the back form their treatments. The girls and Kakashi went up first. Kakashi was done almost instantly, with relatively no pain which encouraged the other guys to step up. It took a bit longer for the girls to be done as they had their eyebrows and legs waxed as well. The girls walked back out to the front where the guys were standing with smirks on their faces as they watched the guys go to take their turns. The only sounds that the girls could here were whimpers of pain, and begging for it to end.

“See! It didn’t even hurt, un,” Deidara said as he walked back to the girls. Most of the guys were walking with their legs spread. They all shot Naruto dirty looks for suggesting that the spa would be fun, and at Deidara and Nagato for making them wax their nether regions, something they vowed to never do again.

“So do you guys want to get your eyebrows waxed too,” Hana suggested cheerily. They had never seen the guys all agree on something, and move as fast as they had while running out of the room.

“They move fast,” Hinata commented. “So we’re getting manicures and pedicures next?”

After that, the rest of the day was soothing and relaxing. Naruto was being quiet for once and enjoying himself, as were the others. Their time in the sauna was spent in complete silence. The guys were pleasantly surprised at how soft their hands and feet felt after getting manicures and pedicures. Before they moved onto the facials, they had gotten their haired washed.

“I’ve never seen Itachi and Deidara get along so well before,” Konan whispered to the other girls. “They’re usually fighting… well Deidara is, but still. They look like they could be best friends right now.” She was looking at the two men in question. They were sitting calmly next to each other with their hair being washed, having a conversation that didn't involve death threats or taunts.

“It’s because they finally agree on something. The same thing happens with Naruto and Sasuke all the time. They’ll argue about anything under the sun, but then there are those few things that they’ll agree on and they’ll be calm and actually look like friends,” Sakura giggled lightly.

“Itachi does care a lot about his hair,” Hana admitted. It was kind of funny that he cared more about his hair than she did. Although, she had to admit she loved it when he would brush her hair.

“Same thing can be said about Deidara,” Jade added.

“Bunch of freaks, I tell you. What do you think Hinata,” Kim questioned the girl, still feeling the tingles of awkwardness from her earlier conversation with the white haired man. “Hinata?” She turned to look at the girl who was sitting beside her. “She fell asleep!”

“Huh, wha… oh. Sorry about that. Having your hair washed is very relaxing,” Hinata murmured sheepishly.

The facials were interesting. Everyone got to choose from a list of face masks and watch as they were made with fresh fruit of their choosing and essential oils. Before the masks were applied they received a facial massage with exfoliating beads. No one could say they hadn't tasted their masks or eaten the cucumbers that had been placed over their eyes.

The time they spent in the indoor hot springs was anything but tranquil. From over the wall, dividing the pool into two sections for men and women, they had somehow started a game of volleyball with a wet towel. They argued and laughed.

Massages were the last thing on their list. They had all agreed that a massage on the beach would be a perfect way to end the day. Deidara cuffed Jade over the back of the head when she made a comment about wanting the attractive masseuse to pay extra attention to her gluteus maximus. From the beach, they had watched the sunset scattered along the shore for privacy. After that they decided to go back to the room to wash off the massage oils in the shower, and then head out for dinner in one of the restaurants that the resort had to offer.

***

 “So what’s on the agenda for tomorrow,” Sakura asked.

“I was thinking we should go to the water park. Get on the roller coasters first and then the water rides after. They don’t let you get on roller coasters if you’re wet,” Ren informed, remembering the times he was denied riding the roller coasters as a child.

“Sounds good to me,” Konan said. “Kim?” When the girl didn’t reply everyone turned to look at her. She was piling her tostada high beans, meat, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.

“What,” she asked when she noticed the looks. “This is the food of my homeland.”

“Only problem is that you weren’t born here,” Ren said dully.

“It’s close enough. I mean I was born in Mexico after all,” she retorted.

“No you weren’t,” Ren argued.

“Yes I was. Mother had a press conference in Mexico City, and she gave birth to me there,” Kim explained. “It’s on my birth certificate, dad.” Ren did the mature thing any father would do; he stuck his tongue at her.

“Jade,” Hinata called to the girl. When she had her attention she continued. “Can we have our swimsuits now?”

“Yeah, I’ll hand them out when we get back to the room,” Jade told everyone.

Dinner passed and everyone was in a good mood. They got back to the rooms and took seats in the living room area. Jade had run off to her room and returned with two black bags. She opened one.

She pulled out a pair of black swim trunks with green stitching, “Nagato.” She threw them in his direction, and did the same with the others. Then she pulled out a pair of sky blue swim trunks with white stitching, “Deidara.” Next was a pair of red trunks with white stitching and a navy blue lining, “Itachi.” After that was a pair of orange trunks with a yellow Hawaiian-style flower on the left leg, “Naruto.” She pulled a pair of green trunks with white Hawaiian-style flowers, “Kakashi.” Next to come out of the bag was a pair of dark purple trunks with black stitching and draw strings, “Sasuke.” Then she pulled out the last pair. A pair of dark blue trunks with white stripes on the sides, “Ren.”

The guys all nodded their approval before heading off to bed. They were just thankful that she didn't buy them speedos.

Reaching for the second bag, she pulled out a pink triangle bikini with multicolored strings, “For me.” She then pulled out a dark blue bikini. The top was like a bra that had ties around the neck and back, and there was a diamond shape just below the breast area that had ties that tied lower on the back, the bottoms were plain with ruching on the hips, “Konan.” The next was a yellow bikini. The top was a halter top with thin straps and a bow in the front, the bottoms had little bows on the sides, “Hana.” Next to come out of the bag was a purple tankini. The top was a bandeau type that tied around the neck, the shirt part had a slit straight up the middle to expose her stomach, and the bottoms were black with a purple band at the top, “Hinata.” A red bikini came out after that. The top was like a string bikini, and the bottoms had thick bows on the sides, “Sakura.” The last to come out was a black and white bikini. The top was like that of a a bra with black straps and lining, the bottoms were like cheeky panties with black lining, “Kim.”

“Hell no,” Kim shouted when she saw what Jade had wanted her to wear. “It looks like it would go up my butt!”

“That’s the way it’s supposed to look,” Jade retorted. “You have to wear it, or you can’t get in the water.” She smirked.

“I can wear shorts, and a tank,” Kim said pouting.

“We’re all going to be wearing something similar,” Hana tried to make her feel better.

“Hinata’s not,” Kim reasoned.

“Yes, but she’s Hinata,” Sakura explained.

“Can I at least wear shorts,” Kim tried to negotiate.

“Actually I had gotten a second choice for Hinata,” Jade said a little nervously. “I just thought that if she wanted to be a little less shy and more daring, she could wear it.” Jade pulled out a purple bikini out of the bag. The top was a halter top with half-inch straps that tied in the back, the bottoms were plain with an orange circle on the hip, and the sides were lined by a thin orange stripe.

“I’ll wear that one,” Hinata said bravely. “I’ll do it for Kim.” Said girl gave her a tight hug.

“Then its settled, we all get to look hot tomorrow,” Jade laughed.


	36. Freaky Fortunes

“Damn it Kim! Stop kicking me,” Hana groaned from her side of the bed, pushing the offending limb away from her.

“Hana, I’m not even on the bed,” Kim informed, popping her head out of the bathroom door with her toothbrush in her hand. “I’m brushing my teeth.” She then walked over to stand beside where Hana was sleeping and poked her on the cheek.

“Then who’s kicking me,” Hana questioned, opening one eye and slapping the younger girl's hand away.

“A pervert that snuck into the room last night,” Kim joked around her toothbrush. Hana pulled a face that said ‘not funny’ and quickly sat up in the bed. The two girls made quick work of pulling the comforter off of the bed and onto the floor. Once the bed was cleared they found the culprit stretched out on his back like he owned the place. “I thought we agreed that you couldn’t come?”

“Yeah, well, then I realized that it would be lonely with me all by myself,” stated a sleepy gruff voice.

“Does the resort even allow you to have pets here,” the long haired brunette pondered.

“I’m not a pet,” the little brown pug growled. "But if I was a pet, you shouldn't have left me home alone unsupervised."

“We know that, but hotel management won’t,” the ebony haired girl remarked, frowning at the dog. Her face relaxed as she contemplated, “I guess we could check the resorts website.”

“If they don’t allow pets, we could always say that he’s Itachi’s seeing eye dog or something like that,” Hana suggested, poking fun at the eldest Uchiha. The two girls shared a laugh, and then the shortest of the two, more like the entire group, pulled her laptop out of its case. They got on the resort’s website. As it would turn out, the resort did allow its guests to bring pets. Closing the laptop the two girls did what they had to get ready for the day.

“Morning everyone,” Kim and Hana chirped as they walked out of their room and headed towards the dinner table where breakfast was being served, and took theirseats.

“Morning boss,” Pakkun said as he jumped on Kakashi’s lap. “Someone pass me the bacon.”

“When did you get here,” Kakashi questioned as he held the little dog by the loose skin behind the neck. The little dog explained how he had stowed away inside of his duffle bag, and had been hiding out in Kim’s room. Kim triumphantly pointed out to Sakura that it wasn’t her who had been kicking her, but was Pakkun instead. After he had explained himself, his ‘Boss’ gave him a plate of bacon and eggs with some dog-friendly fruit. Hana then explained that the resort allows them to have pets, but they would have to inform the staff.

“So what are we doing today,” Kim asked, taking a sip of her tea.

“You’re always complaining about your height yet you drink tea and soda all the time. It's all caffeine ,” Jade stated.

“The saying that caffeine stumps your growth is just a myth,” Sakura informed with all her medical wisdom. The ebony haired girl stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

“We’re going to the park today remember? We agreed on it last night at dinner,” Ren reminded her.

“How could she remember, her and Naruto were too busy trying to see who could stack their chalupas the highest,” Sasuke muttered, wrinkling his nose at the memory. The mentioned two stuck their tongues out at him.

***

They arrived at the park two hours later when it first opened.

“Itachi, you look like a life guard. Girls are going to pretend to drown when they see you,” Kim told him. It was true, he did look like a life guard with his red swim trunks, white tank top, reflective sunglasses, and flip flops. He just shrugged his shoulders and smirked, causing Kim to face palm. He was not making her plan to get him and Hana together easy. Maybe she had a better chance of getting Sasuke and Sakura together, and then she looked at them and thought, maybe not.

The guys were all wearing their swim trunks and flip flops. Ren was wearing his blue trunks with a black v-neck shirt and a pair of reflective sunglasses. Kakashi was wearing his green and white swim trunks with a gray tank top and a black bandana wrapped around the lower part of his face, much to everyone’s dismay. Naruto was wearing his orange trunks with a black t-shirt. Sasuke was wearing his purple trunks with a white v-neck shirt. Nagato was wearing his black trunks with a blue t-shirt. Deidara wore his sky blue trunks with a white tank.

The girls had worn shorts and shirts over their swim suits. Kim had on a pair of short black board shorts with a light gray tank top. Jade had on a pair of multicolored flowery twill shorts with a bubblegum tank top. Konan wore a pair of white and dark blue board shorts and a dark blue tank top. Hinata wore a pair of apricot colored shorts with a white tank top. Hana wore a pair of gray and magenta cotton shorts with a magenta tank top. Sakura wore dark blue cotton shorts with a white tank top.

“I wanna get on the roller coasters, dattebayo! Let’s get in line,” Naruto bellowed running off, dragging Hinata and Nagato, who were the closest to him, by the arms with him. Everyone followed after him. When they got to the line they were surprised to see that it was a long wait.

“What the hell, un?! The gate to this place just opened! How could the line be this long already? There aren’t even that many people staying at the resort,” Deidara complained.

“The parks are open to the public,” Itachi answered immediately. The blond bomber gave him a scathing look. The raven haired man just stared blankly back at him with an eyebrow raised in question, further infuriating the blond.

“Stupid Uchiha, think they know everything,” Deidara muttered under his breath. Then he looked up. “Why does he get to cut in front of everyone, un?”

“What are you talking about,” Nagato questioned him.

“Kakashi! Why does he get to cut in front of everyone,” the blond exclaimed, wildly gesturing towards the accursed man.

“That’s what happens when you’re hot,” Hana replied after getting a good look at the man in question.  
  
“I’m hot, too, right babe,” Deidara asked, turning to his girlfriend with wide sky blue eyes.

“Of course you are,” Jade comforted, placing a kiss on her boyfriend's lips. Pulling away she patted him on the cheek. “It’s just that, Kakashi's got this whole mysterious thing going on, and that booty. You have that explosive temper, and that’s hot.” She purred the last part into his ear.

“Ewww,” Naruto gagged. “I didn’t need to hear any of that.”

“You’re such a baby,” Sakura complained, shaking her head at him. He helped write one of the books their Sensei loved to read. How he couldn't handle it when people acted that way in real life was beyond thought.

“I’ll hold the bags while everyone gets on,” Kim offered, holding out her arms. She had always had a fear of heights. That was the reason they drove to the resort instead of taking a plane, and the same thing applied to roller coasters.

“That’s why we brought Pakkun, so he could guard the bags while we got on rides,” Hana explained to the girl.

“Oh come on daughter! You get on all the giant water slides all the time,” Ren encouraged.

“That’s only because if I were ever to fall off, I would land in the water, but if I fall off the roller coaster, I’ll go splat on the ground,” she babbled, face turning green.

Kakashi had called them all up to the front of the line with him. Deidara smirked. He casually walked up beside Kim. Before she even knew what was happening, she was running, and then being strapped inside of the roller coaster. The worst part of it was that Deidara had seated them in the very front of the ride. She began to panic when she felt the ride jerk forward and begin to ascend. The entire time she was whispering ‘I hate you’ to Deidara until they reached the very top. The ride paused for about a minute before dropping at full speed, and then going through loops and turns and then backwards. Halfway through the ride, Kim started laughing uncontrollably. Deidara was a bit miffed by that, he had wanted her to be screaming in fear.

When the ride ended, Naruto and Sasuke had to run to the nearest trash can to empty their stomachs. That was what they got for challenging each other to an eating contest at breakfast. Sakura and Hinata trailed after them to make sure that they were okay. Jade was cackling evilly for some reason that no one cared to ask for. Kim had run up to Deidara and gave him a hug, thanking him for helping her get over her fear. Deidara supposed she wasn't that bad, but only when she was not out to get him. Nagato was looking around for the next ride to get on, pulling a slightly dizzy Konan along with him. Itachi and Kakashi just shrugged it off like nothing, but to the trained eye, they could see their eyes moving erratically.

“Ooo, let’s got to the water park now,” Sakura said excitedly after they had rode every ride there was in the theme park. “I heard that they’ll teach you how to surf there.”

“I love surfing,” Jade proclaimed.

“I’m hungry, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto pouted, rubbing his growling stomach.

“But if we eat now, we won’t be able to get in the water for a while,” Kim complained, then her stomach made a weird noise. She smiled sheepishly. “On second thought, food sounds really good right now and we could always play games for a while.”

***

  
After everyone finished eating, they, aside from Kakashi who wandered off, made their way towards the boardwalk where all the games were. As they were walking, a coin operated fortune teller had caught their attention. There was a picture of a pale lavender crystal ball on a bronze stand. Above and below the picture it said some words, that most of them could not understand, written in fancy black lettering on bronze plates. Naruto was the first to run up and give it a try, receiving a small slip of paper.

“It’s in Spanish,” he complained, instantly recognizing a few words. The ebony haired girl rolled her eyes and took the slip of paper from him.

“It says, you will be attacked by a shark. Avoid the water,” Kim translated for him.

“I’m trying it again, dattebayo,” he shouted walking back to the machine and putting another coin in. He gave the slip of paper to Kim who read, “All I see are sharks surrounding you.” He got another fortune. “Someone nearby cares very deeply for you.”

“I’m going to give it a try, un,” the other blond announced as he walked over to the machine. He gave the slip of paper to Kim.

“You will learn patience.” He snatched the paper away from her and handed it to Ren, thinking she was making fun of him. When the girl's father told him the same thing, the blond grumbled.

“It says, you will get fleas if you continue to lay with dogs,” Kim read her fortune, glaring at the pug sitting by her feet. The dog smiled up at her, his tongue curling upwards. Nagato handed her his fortune. “You will meet a jumping jelly bean.” Jade gave her, her fortune. “You and your friends will be hunted down by men in dark suits.”

“That sounds a bit morbid,” Hana commented with a wiry smile.

“Then again, it did tell Lord Pein in The Ass, he would meet a jumping jelly bean,” Konan reasoned.

“It’s all fake. It’s not real,” Sasuke added. Then he got his prediction, and handed it to Ren.

“It says, babies! There are babies everywhere,” Ren translated for him.

“You really should calm yourself down, and give your future wife a break,” Itachi stated, putting a hand on his brother’s shoulder. Sasuke felt a blush creep up his neck and up to his cheeks. "Also keep hydrated and take short breaks."

“Bastard, talk about restoring you clan, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto said with a foxy grin. Sasuke scowled at his so called best friend. Sakura giggled and got a prediction for herself.

“You will do battle with a pig,” Kim translated. Everyone looked at Sakura in confusion.

“I want another one, ‘ttebayo!”

“Most people will get one opportunity in life to be awesome. You won’t be one of them,” Ren translated for the blond boy. Naruto started dancing around waving the slip of paper with his prediction in Sasuke’s face, falling to his knees crying when the piece of paper was blown out of his hand.

“Okay I want another one now,” Kim declared. She got a prediction from the machine. “Your home town will be invaded by ninja, and your live will never be the same…” She trailed off.

“That was scarily accurate,” Ren commented dryly. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Itachi decided to give it a try. “Don’t frown, someone is falling in love with your smile. You do look so much better when you smile,” he added the last part. All the girls had to agree with that, especially Hana. Hinata got one too. “Trust the man in the strange clothes with a long white beard and twinkling blue eyes. He will make you prosperous.”

“Is he going to be with the jumping jelly bean and a pig,” Konan joked.

Kim caught sight of a flash of white in the crowd, and parted from the group. She walked into the crowd of people.

“Come on Kashi, get your fortune told,” the ebony haired girl said grabbing his arm when she found him. He brought his arm back, catching hold of her hand and pulled her to walk along the boardwalk. Kim stumbled a few times as she struggled to keep up with the man.

“Hey you kids! Come play! All you have to do is pop a balloon! Everyone’s a winner! Pop ten in a row and get one of these,” a man gestured to the large person-sized stuffed animals that were hanging from the top of the booth. “Come on sir, and win the little lady a prize!”

“I guess,” Kakashi muttered, lost in thought, pulling out a few bills and handing them over to the man. The man in turn gave him ten colorful darts. Kakashi picked one up, rolled it between his fingers then ran his thumb over the the tip. He knew from the dullness of the tip and the extra weight, that the game was rigged and was designed to get people to miss and buy more darts, thus spending more money. He lifted the dart and aimed it at one of the colorful balloons pinned to the wall behind the booth, popping a balloon. “I’m not sure if I heard it right, but…” He popped a balloon.

“But what,” Kim asked confused, worry beginning to creep up. He had dragged her away from the others, and the entire time he had an anxious look on his face. Then when he trailed off she knew that he had something to tell her, and she knew that she would not like it. He popped another balloon.

“I overheard some girls talking.” Another balloon. “They said a famous model was staying at the resort.” Another balloon. “I only stopped to listen when they mentioned her name.” Another balloon. “Bianca Garcia is your mother’s name, right?” Another balloon. When she did not reply he turned to face her.

“Why is she here?” Her face was so confused and her eyes were wide in shock. Tears began to gather in her eyes, giving them a glass-like appearance.

“It was a last minute kind of thing, or something." He gave a sigh, still not turning to look at the girl beside him. "Apparently, one of the models had to go home for some sort of family emergency, and your mother was picked as her replacement. I’m sorry,” he finished lamely. Another balloon was popped.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault,” she sighed then frowned, biting her lip in thought. “I just hope her being here doesn’t ruin anything.”

He held the last two darts in one had. Taking aim he let them fly, and popped the last two balloons. The man running the booth could do nothing but gape in shock as Kakashi pointed to the prize he wanted. While he waited for the man to come out of his stupor and get his requested prize, he looked over to Kim to see her still deep in thought sitting on a nearby bench. Grabbing the plush toy from the vendor's stiff grasp, he made his way over to his companion.

“With all of us together here, I don’t think she’s going to ruin anything. I think we’ll end up ruining it for her,” Kakashi mused, stopping to stand in front of her. When Kim looked up at him, all she saw was a giant cream colored bear with black and white plaid bow around its neck with Kakashi’s legs sticking out from underneath. He pulled the bear’s head aside and gave her one of his famous crinkled eye smiles, and then handed it to her.

“This thing is bigger than me! How sad,” she laughed, pouting. He ruffled her hair making her bangs go crazy, and then they made their way back to the others.

“Kim! That thing's bigger than you,” Sakura exclaimed playfully when they had rejoined the others.

Naruto tried to carry it but ended up falling over because of the weight.

“Moron, it’s not that heavy,” Sasuke said in his monotone. But when he tried to lift the oversized bear plushie, the same thing happened to him. What was that bear made out of, lead?

“Can we head to the pool already,” Nagato begged, already starting to feel the heat of the sun beating down on him. His shoulders were starting to match his hair, and he needed to get in the water and fast.


	37. Forever

The group of thirteen had finally made it to the water park. Once there, they rented a couple of lockers to stash their things in. After shoving their bags into the lockers, they started to remove any excess clothing. Nearly everyone that was around, stopped to stare at the sight of toned muscles, lean bodies, and slim figures. Much to everyone in the groups’ dissatisfaction including many female and a few male bystanders, Kakashi only reached back to tighten the tie on the bandana obscuring the lower half of his face.

“What hell is that,” Kim asked, pointing at Deidara’s chest. There was diagonal slit over his left pectoral with stitches and some weird tattoo around it. Deidara just lifted his hand up to show her the mouth there. “Ewwww! That’s so cool!”

“Shut up… Wait you think it’s cool,” Deidara asked confused. Then he smirked, and threw an arm over Kim’s shoulder. “Take that Itachi. I just converted your sister to the dark side, un.” The eldest Uchiha just shook his head at the blond.

“Kaka-Sensei, why are you still wearing your mask, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto asked nonchalantly, staring the man down.

“Yeah, Kakashi,” Jade butted in, hands on her hips. “You’ll get an uneven tan.”

“Maybe he tans naked on his own like you do,” Kim suggested, still trying to find the courage to undress. Everyone turned to look at Jade.

“Huh-how did you know that,” the hazel eyed girl retorted, face heating up. She had never told anyone that she tanned naked. How in the world did Kim find out? Kim was her best friend, but still?

“I walked out on the roof, and saw you lying naked on a towel,” the dark eyed girl explained. “Then there was that one time when you were dancing. It was kind of creepy.” Jade’s face was a deep red. She was beyond embarrassed.

“That’s hot babe, un,” Deidara purred into her ear with a flirty smile. Naruto gagged. The girls sighed at the cuteness. Konan smacked Nagato across the head.

“Why don’t you ever say things like that,” Konan complained to her shy boyfriend. The redhead rubbed the bump that was sure to be growing on the back of his head.

“You yell at me when I do,” Nagato reasoned.

“Well you shouldn’t be so crude. Have you even heard half of the sweet things that Deidara has said to her. Even when he is being perverted he still has the decency to be quiet about it,” Konan ranted. All the girls agreed with her. Deidara was turning red, and Jade smiled proudly at him.

“That’s cute,” Itachi smirked patting the blond on the back. The blond scowled at him.

“At least I can get a girlfriend, un,” Deidara retorted causing the Uchiha to frown.

“Okay guys stop fighting,” Ren commanded. “Let’s just have a good time, and get on some rides.”

“Kim, Hinata, take them off,” Sakura said referring to the fact that they were the only two that still had yet to get undressed. The two girls shied away from all the stares they were getting from everyone.

“It’s Hinata’s birthday, so we don’t have to get undressed if we don’t want to,” Kim countered, crossed her arms and dared them to make them take off their excess clothing.

“It’s not your birthday, Kim. You can’t get out of it,” Hana argued, crossing her arms. “Besides Hinata needs to flaunt what she’s got since it’s her birthday. She needs some cute boy attention.”

“Most of the guys here don’t even speak English,” Kim grumbled. She did have a point there. Almost ninety percent of the attendants of the park were locals or natives of the country. The other ten percent were from out of the county.

“Well she can also speak Japanese, and a lot of people can speak English,” Hana furthered her point.

“The number of Japanese and English speaking people here is still very low,” Kim said with narrowed eyes.

“Enough about languages!” Jade had gotten annoyed with her best friend. She ran over and jumped on top of her best friend tackling her to the ground. The blonde/redheaded girl wrestled the ebony haired girl out of her shorts. Kim had tried her hardest to get away from her best friend, but it was all in vain. Jade had successfully gotten her friend out of her tank top. Kim had ran for cover behind Sasuke. She glared at everyone from behind him. The youngest Uchiha started to get irritated by the physical contact and move to stand on the other side, leaving Kim in full view. Some of the men that were walking by stopped to whistle at her, which caused her two brothers to stand in front of her glaring at them.

“I hate you,” the ebony haired girl hissed out. Jade’s head was met with a sliver flip flop.

Hinata, feeling bad for her embarrassed and uncomfortable friend, decided that it was her turn to undress. The only reason she was so embarrassed was because of the fact that her precious Naruto was there. One by one she kicked off her flip flops, and slipped out of her shorts then stepped back into her shoes. Slowly she started to lift off her shirt exposing her flat stomach.

“Hinata-chan,” Naruto whispered from where he was standing between Kakashi and Nagato, his mouth falling wide open and drool started to drip from the corner of his mouth. When the indigo haired had her shirt off she stretched back and put her hair in a bun, some hair sticking up in the back, causing the poor dopey blond boy got a nose bleed and promptly passed out in a reversal of roles.

“What happened to N-Naruto-kun,” the worried Hyuuga girl asked. No one said anything to her. Sakura slapped him until he was awake.

“You’re hot Hinata-chan, dattebayo,” was the first thing that came out of the blond's mouth when he woke up. It was all too much for the girl and she fainted after her face turned completely red. “What did I do!” Everyone rolled their eyes at him. Hana had got something out of her pack and waved it under the girl’s nose. That seemed to wake her up.

After there seemed to be no more mishaps and complaints from any one, they had finally made it to where all the water slides were. Pakkun also wanted to join everyone on the slides, so he gave all the ride attendants the same treatment. He gave them the puppy dog eyes and let them touch his paw, completely bending them to his will.

The first ride that they got on was a giant water slide, with three people to a float. The little pug took that opportunity to work his magic, and he refused to get on the ride with anyone other than the white haired man and the short dark haired girl. In the end. Kakashi sat at the rear, Kim in the middle, and Pakkun at the front. Poor Kim was turning an unhealthy shade of red throughout the entire ride as her back was pressed up against Kakashi’s bare stomach and chest, and he had wrapped his arms around her with both of his hands were resting on her stomach. Kakashi could only chuckle at the girl’s discomfort. For some strange reason he enjoyed seeing her nervous and blushing. He even got an eyeful when she climbed in and out the float; he knew he should have looked away, but he couldn't resist.

The second ride that they got on was a water giant slide with twists and turns. All the individual slides were color coded; it had all seven colors of the rainbow, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. They decided to make it a competition, because ninjas love a good challenge. First went the girls, then the guys took a turn, the top four moved on. That was Jade, Konan, Hinata, Sakura, Kakashi, Ren, Naruto, and Sasuke. The two, Konan and Ren, that came in in fourth place had to race each other for a spot in the last round. Ren was the one that ended up winning the entire thing.

Next up was a water slide that resembled a giant funnel. It had a short slide the led to it, and then dropped them into the funnel. Inside the funnel it shifted them up the sides until they reached the bottom. The float for the ride seated four people. Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Hinata got on together. When the float went up the side of the giant funnel Naruto and Sasuke started to argue and somehow managed to knock each other off of the float, and fell into the pool that was at the end of the funnel, and continued to argue until the float came out and pushed them underwater.

After that came the two person water slide. It was a giant tunnel that lit up different colors on the inside. That one was the tallest and longest slide in the entire park. Everyone had pushed Hinata and Naruto to get on that one together. The indigo haired girl was having the same problem the the other dark haired girl was having earlier. It did not help when Naruto tightened his grip and pulled her closer every time they took a sharp turn turn or dropped.

Simulated surfing was up next. There was giant pool that created good-sized waves, where someone there taught them how to properly surf, though a few of them already knew how. Staying on the board is usually the hardest part of surfing, but it was easy for them all. The big cheaters, used chakra to attach themselves to the surf boards, though they stopped once they got the hang of it.

As a prank they had pushed Sasuke on the Watery Tunnel of Love with some random girl. He was pissed and irritated throughout the ride. The girl had kept fangirling over his looks then she would shy away when he looked at her, and then she would stark acting like a major tomboy trying to impress him. When he got off the ride he was emulating a dark aura and shooting death glares at anyone who dared to look at him.

Hana was having a blast with all the aquatic animals that were at the park. There were pools where they could swim with a specific animal. By her command, they went to all of them. When they had gotten to the dolphins there was one with an infected tail. Itachi couldn't resist the urge to smile at the sight of her secretively healing the aquatic mammal’s hurt tail.

“Don’t let anyone catch you,” Itachi whispered to the girl as he walked up behind her, making her jump in fright.

“Kami, I didn’t hear you come up,” Hana exclaimed with a hand over her heart, the other gently rubbing along the dolphin's spine, soothingly. She turned around to face him and flashed him a sheepish smile before turning back around to continue her work. With practiced ease, her chakra covered hands moved up and down the creatures fin, successfully killing all traces of infection. Hana slowly cut off her chakra flow, and sat back on her heels. She gave a small laugh as the dolphin splashed water at her and swan away to join the others. “I just couldn’t leave her here injured. If the infection had spread then they would have to amputate her flipper, and you saw that movie. She could damage her spinal cord.”

“I remember,” he stated, a smile pulling at the corners of his lips as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was good to know that some things never changed. “You always did have a big heart when it came to hurt animals.”

Something made a plopping noise in the waist high water below them. Hana looked down to see a necklace at the bottom of the pool. She bent down and picked it up. When she brought it up to her face she examined it, slowly turning it over with her fingers. The necklace had three small metal rings connected by a black cord. The circles signified forever.

“You still have this,” Hana said, looking at him in genuine surprise. “I gave this to you when you were first asked to join the ANBU. It was a congratulatory gift.” She couldn't believe he had kept it, having figured he had gotten rid of the first chance he had. Holding out the necklace to the man, Hana met his gaze.

Itachi stared into her eyes searching for something, causing a pleasant tingle to run down her spine. When it appeared that he found what he was looking for, he lifted his hand to get the necklace from her and quickly put it back where it had always been since the day he received it. In a quick, fluid motion and without warning, he leaned forward wrapping his arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his chest. He moved his other hand to cup her cheeks. Moving his fingers to her chin, he lifted her head so that she would look him directly in the eyes.

It was now or never. He couldn't deny that he had cared for Izumi. She was a great girl, but he never loved her. If he hadn't met Hana on his first day at the Academy, she might have stood a chance. Hana was the one he loved. She was the one he was going to risk his standing as heir to the Uchiha. When his parents had told him about the arranged marriage, he tried to get out of it but other things had been set in motion by the council. In the end, it seemed like it wasn't a love meant to be. Yet by some miracle, after his death, he had been giving a second chance; with his brother, a new sister, so many friends, and now... the woman he'd always loved. He would be a fool to waste this opportunity. So with a deep breath, he'd done what he'd been longing to do since he left home that fateful night.

“Forever,” he whispered, and she felt his breath brush against her lips. Then he leaned in and their lips met in a sweet kiss, filled with all the love they held onto for eight years. From then on, there would be no more hiding.


	38. Mommy Dearest

When Itachi and Hana rejoined the others, it took everyone a few minutes to  figure out why they seemed happier than usual. When they did, the new couple was swarmed by their friends as they gave their congratulations to the happy couple. The girls pulled Hana to the side and asked for all the juicy details. The guys congratulated Itachi with pats on the back and asked him how he did it. Deidara was amazed that the ever stoic Uchiha managed to get a girlfriend, but then again the Uchiha and Inuzuka were once lovers when they were younger.

After all the gossiping was over, they decided that it was time to head back to the hotel. They made the short trek back to the lockers they had rented to get their things and redress. On the walk back to their rooms, they stopped to eat dinner at the outdoor barbecue and seafood place that the resort had near the beach.

They were all seated around a large round table by their hostess. The table was situated atop a square wooden mat and was decorated with a white linen table cloth, with orange cloth napkins, white plates and bowls rimmed with orange and gold with the resort's logo in the center, and polished silver cutlery. In the center of the table was a basket of flowers native to the island.

“Why are the tables here so big,” Konan asked confused. Everywhere they had gone they were able to all sit at the table comfortably.

“Latin families are usually large. There’s the parents, however many children they have, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends,” Ren explained, receiving nothing but blank stares from his ragtag group of delinquents which he returned with a pointed glance. “Don’t give me those looks.” Everyone went back to looking at their menus.

“We would like to give a warm welcome to our special guest of honor, the lovely and beautiful Bianca Garcia!" The was a round of applause. "She will be here for the New Year’s Eve fashion show showcasing all the newest fashions of the new season. Then she will be performing an original song at the New Year’s Countdown Party,” a man spoke into a microphone, once in Spanish then a second time in English. He was standing at a table that was seating five other people. He gestured to a woman, and she stood up. She had light slightly tanned flawless skin, straight golden brown hair that fell down to her thin waist. Long slim legs put her at five foot eight inches tall, well-endowed figure, but her most noticeable and striking features were her icy blue eyes lined in gray.

“She’s hot,” Nagato declared, and Naruto had to agree with him. Konan smacked the two upside the head from where she sat between them. The girls looked on at the gorgeous woman with envy, while Kim eyes were set in a hard glare. Ren choked on his drink. He looked over at his daughter, his eyes filled with worry, unsure of how she would react to the sudden a presence of her mother. She was relatively calm save for the scowl marring her features.

Ren watched as his daughter stealthily plucked a dinner roll, smothered in butter, off of Naruto’s plate, took aim and fired with great speed. The dinner roll sailed through the air and landed on the woman’s bright yellow sun dress. Bianca startled at the direct hit and jumped up and out of her seat in surprise, which made the piece of bread fall off leaving a large grease stain behind. Everyone snapped their heads in mild shock to face Kim, who acted as if she had not just thrown buttered bread at an international super model and sat back taking a sip of her drink.

Soon everyone put the little bread throwing incident out of their minds at the arrival of their food. They talked about their day and the things that they planned to do the next day, which it turned out that they all wanted to go to the private beach. A waiter had gone to their table to ask them if the food was to their liking when Naruto told him of it being Hinata’s birthday. The boy left and he came back with a chocolate cake decorated with three sparklers, and they had somehow gotten everyone in the restaurant to sing her happy birthday. The shy girl blushed at all the attention she was getting, and sighed in relief when it was over, smiling as she was handed the first slice of cake.

Everyone stared at the person who was slowly walking up to stand behind Ren. Standing there, was none other than international super model, Bianca Garcia. Ren stood from his seat in warning, towering over the woman as she ran her hands up and down his chest. He was only able to get the first syllable of her name out before she pulled him in for a kiss, shocking everyone at the table and in the restaurant. The media went crazy as cameras flashed and videos were taken. Pulling back, she planted one last kiss on her ex-boyfriends lips and moved on to greet the others at the table.

In the other girl's opinions, Bianca seemed to be a little too friendly with Nagato, Deidara, and Itachi. Every time her gaze passed over Ren she would blow him a kiss. Her smile brightened when she caught sight of the white haired man when he returned to the table, taking a seat beside her daughter. Her icy blue eyes took in the way the man flashed a kind smile at the girl as he retook his seat, even the way he seemed to lean in closer like he was drawn to her by some invisible force. Sauntering over to him she draped her arms over his shoulders, running her hands down his chest, taking in the way his hard muscles rolled at her touch along with the heated stare her daughter gave her.

“Well if it isn’t my daughter,” the woman said warmly, resting her head atop Kakashi's and looking directly at Kim. "Honey, if you wanted my attention so badly, all you had to do was ask."

Everyone stared wide eyed, looking for similarities between the mother and daughter. They had the same lightly tanned flawless skin and Jade finally learned which side of the gene pool her best friend had gotten such large breasts from. Though, those two were the only similarities between them, the rest was all Ren. The most shocking thing was that her mother was alive. They had all assumed that Kim’s mother had died, since the woman was never once mentioned, and not even Jade knew of her.

“M...mother? She’s your mother,” Jade stuttered out, her mouth opening and closing with no other words coming out, making her look like a fish. The ebony haired girl said nothing, opting to glare at the woman standing before her.

“You’re not my mother,” Kim growled out at the woman.

“How can you say that,” Bianca snapped at last, her smile dropping from her face. She released her hold of the Hatake, coming to stand to her full height before her daughter. “I did everything for you. I gave up so much for you. I gave you everything you could ever want. Then you decide to leave me without a word, and all i get is a phone call from your father, telling me you're safe.”

“How can I say that," Kim parroted her mother's question, incredulously. "Simple, you’re not my mother. You never were, and you never will be. You think you were the perfect mother, and everyone believed you were, but I knew the truth and so did grandma and grandpa. You were horrible! Not only were you always gone, but you were a monster when we were alone. Not once did you ever do anything for me, unless it made you look good to your fans or the media. You gave up nothing, and when you did have to miss one of your little parties, a fashion show, photo shoot, or-or even going out with your friends, you never failed to constantly remind me that it was all my fault.

You may have given me everything, but never what I really wanted. If you still don’t know what it is, I’m not going to waste my breath telling you," Kim ranted, her eyes were starting to grow misty, and a lump she couldn't swallow was forming in her throat. She turned to face Hinata. “I’m so sorry I ruined your birthday.” Then she turned on her heel and ran trying to keep the tears from falling.

“Ungrateful little brat,” the icy blue eyed woman muttered quietly under her breath, through everyone was still able to hear it. She crossed her arms with a huff.

“How can you say that, woman,” Ren raged, pulling her out of earshot of the restaurant before a crowd could form. “You know nothing about her. You mistreated her her entire life. A kid needs a parent; she practically had to raise herself. How could you keep the fact that I had a daughter a secret from me? For twelve years?! She had to meet me in a prison through a glass window. She was so desperate just to get away from you, she went to a prison to find her father. She was so broken when she came to me. I didn’t know what to do with her, but I tried. She is so kind and caring and, and just all around amazing. She never expects anything in return for whatever she does. The only thing that scares me is the fact that she has it in her mind, that’s she’s such a horrible person that no one could ever love her. She would give everything, but she wouldn't expect anything.” Ren’s hands balled into fists as tears trailed down his face. If he didn't have to leave... his daughter could have... No, it didn't do well to dwell on the what if's in life. What's done was done.

“She ruined my life. Everything was perfect before she came along and took the spotlight away from me,” the woman explained. She too was reaching her wits end if her trembling form was a thing to go by.

“She didn’t do anything," Ren defended. She was just a little girl. "If you want someone to blame, then blame me. I was the one that got you pregnant.”

“I’m going to go check on Kim,” the white haired man stated as he walked passed them to get to the path that would lead him back to the hotel. When he tried to walk away the icy blue eyed woman stopped him, getting a death grip around his arm.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s not like she’s your girlfriend or anything. If you want we could go out and party,” she said with a wink, pushing her chest onto him.

“Yes, she is,” Kakashi confirmed immediately and without thinking, making the others gasp in surprise as he worked his arm out of the woman's hold. He didn't know what possessed him to say that, but something did. He did not like the way that woman spoke of her own child. It was like the need to protect her had suddenly kicked in.

The others were all wondering when that had happened. When had Kakashi and Kim gotten together? The man in question gave them all a pointed glance, silently asking them to just go with it. They got the message, and Kakashi hurried back to the hotel.

“That little bitch is always messing up everything,” Biance whined, stomping her foot like a petulant child. Her head jerked violently to the side when she was slapped across the face.

“Don’t you ever call my sister a bitch. I used to look up to you. I used to think that you were this amazing kind and caring woman, but now I know better. You’re nothing but a spoilt brat, and if anyone's a bitch, it’s you. The eyes reflect the soul, and yours are icy like your heart,” Jade growled. She and Kim might argue and fight over the dumbest things, but they always had each other’s backs when it truly counted.

“Yeah! Kimi-nee-chan is amazing and no matter how hot you might be, you're hideous on the inside, dattebayo,” Naruto added.

“Yeah and she will take the spotlight from you at the New Year’s Eve concert,” Sasuke gave his input. He had heard her singing in her room when she thought no one was around to hear her, and to be honest, she had an amazing voice.

“I’d like to see her try,” and with that Bianca Garcia stormed away muttering things that no one could make out under her breath, not they cared to. Everyone turned to face Ren and asked him if he was alright. When he assured them he was fine, they set off to find Kim and Kakashi.

***

Once Kakashi was out of view, he took off running back to the rooms. When he got there, he went straight to her room only to find that she wasn't there. He was at a loss as to where she would be. Leaning against the wall, he looked out the window to the ocean as the sun was about to set. On the beach there was a lone figure walking along the shore. He formed a few hand seals and disappeared with a puff of smoke.

“Holy shit,” Kim cried when she felt a hand on her shoulder, thrusting her elbow back only for it to get caught in a firm grip then placed gently down at her side. She turned around to see a familiar face. “Are you going to yell at me for acting childish? It’s not going to make me feel bad, because I don’t regret what I said to her.”

“I’m not going to reprimand you. I only came out here to make sure that you’re okay,” he assured her holding his hands up in surrender. She threw her arms around his waist and buried her face in his chest that smelled of sweat, pool water, and something she couldn't quite put her finger on, though it smelled really good. She looked up at him with tear filled eyes.

“I thought since I knew she was here, it would be so much easier when I saw her. I guess I was wrong,” she said resting her head on his chest. When she realized what she was doing she jumped back and faintly mumbled, “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” he told her. Before he could get anything else out, he had the breath squeezed out of him once more. She had thrown her arms around his waist in a tight embrace. Comforting girls, or anyone for that matter, was not exactly Kakashi’s strong point. So, he tentatively wrapped his arms around her, awkwardly returning the embrace.

“You suck at this,” the ebony haired girl stated with a small giggle.

“I know,” he replied, hanging his head in shame. “I have something I need to tell you.” She looked up at him then, curiosity shining in her tear-reddened eyes. “I’m kind of your boyfriend now.” Her brows furrowed in confusion, head tilting ever so slightly. “You mother was being a… I can’t think of the right word for it, but I kind of told her that you’re my girlfriend.”

“So we’re going to have to pretend to be in love until she leaves,” Kim guessed, heart beating faster for reasons unknown. “Like in that movie with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston.” She buried her face back in his chest.

“I’ve never seen that movie, but I think so.”

It got quiet after that. They watched the sunset, and listened to the sounds of the waves. Kakashi couldn't help but take notice of how right everything felt at that moment, of how at peace he felt. Her small body was pressed flush against his and her body heat was warming him. Unlike her mother’s overbearing heat, hers was a more gentle soothing kind; the kind he longed for while away on missions where he was forced to sleep outside, the kind of warmth he could never achieve. He liked how her small body was completely encased in his larger one like she was made just for him. He lo... He stopped himself there. Since when had being in Kim’s embrace felt right? When did he start thinking like that? He was a shinobi. An elite of the elite. He was not reckless and careless like a certain blond student of his.

“I guess I should just go back there, and if she tries anything... I’ll just ignore her or face her head on.”

“Let’s go. Everyone should be back in their rooms by now.” He looked down at her. He liked the way her skin seemed to give off an ethereal glow in the moonlight. Though, he liked it better when she was in the sunlight when her hair took on a red hue, and her eyes danced. Either way, night or day, she looked like a goddess. Being her pretend boyfriend was going to be the most difficult mission he had ever been assigned.

He knew that they would be leaving them all behind, never to return, when they figured out how to get back to their own dimension. If she did return with them, she could always become a ninja of Konoha. She would make a fine Kunoichi. When they left the Chunin exams were scheduled to take place in a few weeks, with his word she could take part in it. Then she could possibly become a Jonin like him and they could be assigned... He stopped himself again.

He needed to be more professional. He needed to keep his distance. He had his reasons for why they could never be together. When they returned back to the states, they were going to work nonstop on creating that jutsu that would take them home. It was time to stop playing around and get back to what they should have been doing all along. No more stalling, no more games.

***

“They’re so cute together,” Jade squealed from where she was hidden behind a tree watching her best friend and the white haired man walking and talking along the shore. Everyone had to agree with her, save for the Uchiha Brothers. They had their own reasons. Sasuke just did not approve of his former Sensei’s reading habits, and Itachi knew that the white haired man was not exactly interested in dating. Kakashi was too focused on the mission, he never once allowed himself to slip up or be held back. There was also something else that he could not quite understand. He knew the Hatake was capable of a relationship, he'd witnessed the man charm women before, but there was something also holding him back from really feeling.


	39. Give Your Heart a Break

"We should try to stop her," Nagato suggested, watching the ongoing events unfold along with all the others.

"But he did bring it upon himself," Sakura reasoned, which caused her former teammate and crush to shoot a glare in her direction. Ren had to agree with the pink haired female, and sat back to watch the show.

While the younger Uchiha was distracted by glaring at his laughing older brother, he had created an opening for the short ebony haired girl who made her move. She lifted the frying pan she had found in one of the kitchen cabinets high above her head, and brought it down on the youngest Uchiha's head. Sasuke fell to the ground clutching his head with both hands. He looked up at Kim, only to find her smirking down at him. He swung one of his legs out in a wide reaching arc, making the girl fall over on her side beside him.

"You ass-wipe," the ebony haired girl cried, making a grab for her younger brother's arm, but he twisted out of her grasp and she had gotten a fistful of his hair instead.

"Ahhhhhhh! Let go," Sasuke commanded, his voice strained. Every time he tried to get his hair free of her grip, she would clench her fist and pull harder. Getting frustrated with the fact that he was getting nowhere, he scooted closer to her and got a fistful of her hair, and every time she pulled her did the same.

"Foolish little brother," Itachi muttered under his breath. Then he stood up and tried to pull Kim and Sasuke away from each other, but when he got to close, Kim kicked him in the shin. Then Sasuke knocked him down with one swift kick to the back of his knees. The eldest Uchiha sat up and tried to pry them apart, yet again. Somehow Itachi had ended up taking part in all the hair pulling.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be happening quite often from now on, un," Deidara commented as he observed the odd scene before him. Not once had he ever seen Itachi as… out of control and unserious as he was at the moment. To everyone who had personally knew the three, it was an odd sight to see. Kim was usually quiet and shy in a room full of people and refused to let her anger show or take it out on someone, but she was doing just that. Sasuke was the 'brooding in a corner' type of guy, and the only time he ever lost his cool was around Naruto. Everyone thought it was cute the way they were 'bonding' as siblings.

After a bit of more fighting they had finally calmed down. They didn't necessarily clam down, they had basically worn themselves out and weren't able to go on any longer. Itachi sat Indian style beside the other two, and Kim was sitting on top of Sasuke's, who was lying sprawled out on his stomach, back with her arms crossed.

"Can someone explain what just happened," Kakashi asked, looking up from his book for the first time since the fight had started. He had come back to the room a few minutes after Kim, mainly because Pakkun had wanted something from the snack machine. When he had entered the room, he had made it just in time to see Kim chasing after Sasuke with a frying pan. No one explained what was going on to him since they were too busy watching the fighting siblings.

"Sasuke's an idiot, that's what happened," Kim grumbled. Said idiot got annoyed and rolled over to his side forcing the girl that was sitting on his back to land painfully on the stone floor. She glared at him. Just as they were about to start fighting again Itachi pushed them away from each other and sat in between them, wrapping Kim in a bear hug, pinning her arms to her chest and restraining Sasuke with his legs.

"Teme told Nee-chan's mother that she could out sing her at the New Year's Countdown Concert, dattebayo," Naruto explained. "Apparently she has a severe case of stage fright." Everyone, aside from Kim and Hinata, stared at him.

"Naruto, since when did you use words like 'apparently' and 'severe'," Sakura asked confused.

"I can do the smart-talk, too, 'ttebayo," the blond cried, pouting. After a few more minutes of receiving odd stares he broke. "Nee-chan and Hina-chan have been helping me with my school work." The indigo haired girl blushed at the new nickname her crush had given her.

"Hey," Kim shouted, trying to get everyone's attention. "What are we going to do about the whole upstaging my mother thing?"

"Maybe she forgot about it already," Jade suggested with a shrug of her shoulders. "Your mother seems like the air-headed, in one ear and out the other, type. I bet she's forgotten all about it by now."

"I guess you're right," Kim agreed, her stomach spinning in discomfort.

***

The next morning, they found themselves seated in one of the resort's many restaurants eating breakfast. Everything was back to normal, and it seemed that no one remember Sasuke's idiotic declaration.

"I want pancakes, dattebayo," Naruto shouted out his order. It caused two different reactions from two different girls. Hinata giggled at his loudness, and Sakura smacked him across the head. "Hina-chan, protect me," the blond exclaimed as he buried his head in the indigo haired girl's shoulder.

"Do-" Sasuke was cut off when something sickeningly-sweet was shoved into his mouth.

"I don't want to hear any of your nonsense," Kim hissed, tired of the younger boy's commentary. Sasuke glared at her and spit out sweet bread he had in his mouth out into his napkin. "Ewwww! That's gross!"

"That's disgusting," Itachi muttered in disgust.

"I don't like sweets," Sasuke defended himself.

"How can you not like sweets? Itachi can eat at least ten sticks of dango by himself," Nagato said, wondering how the two were even related.

"Then there was that time he ate like twenty boxes of pocky in one day, un," Deidara added, shuddering at the memory.

"Not to mention all the candy he scarfed down at Jade's birthday party," Konan pointed out.

"What the hell," Sasuke exclaimed. He was giving his brother really strange looks. Itachi was just sitting there drenching his chocolate chip pancakes in syrup and pilling fruit onto his plate.

"What," the eldest Uchiha asked when he felt everyone staring at him.

"How can you eat that much sweets," Kim asked. She thanked the waitress who placed her omelette down in front of her and prepped the first bite. "I've tried, but I always end up getting headaches or throw up. Last time I want to the dentist, I had two cavities."

"I bet he does," Sakura added, scooping more fruit cocktail into her bowl. "You can't eat as many sweets as he does and not have any repercussions."

"Why is everyone suddenly so interested in my teeth," Itachi asked confused. He was wondering how the conversation had went from Sasuke not liking sweets to how many cavities he might have.

"You can all go to the dentist when we get back to the states," Ren told them, jumping into the conversation for the first time in hopes of ending it. Was it too much to ask that they let him enjoy his breakfast with some peace and quiet?

"Hey! You're Bianca Garcia's daughter right," a tall man with green eyes and light brown hair asked as he walked up to the table. Ren let his fork drop to his place with a clatter, rubbing the place between his eyebrows. Maybe it was too much to ask.

"Uh, yeah," said daughter answered unsurely around a mouthful of omelette. She stared at the man, who wore a pair of kaki pants and a blue freshly ironed button down shirt. She swore she had seen him somewhere before.

"I'm Juan Gutierrez." It all came back to her. The man was a popular Latin American actor from Cuba, most known for his many roles in daytime Spanish soaps. "I'll be the host of the New Year's Eve Event. I heard about your challenge to your mother about giving the better performance, and then I thought 'Hey this would make great television!' I can see it now Bianca Garcia versus, what's your name again?" He looked at her in confusion, his mind drawing a blank.

"Kimberly Cruz," she supplied.

"Ah! Bianca Garcia versus Kimberly Cruz." He held his hands out up in the air, as if envisioning a banner. "The sing off between mother and daughter-"

"Um… yeah about that," Kim cut in, trying to clear up the misunderstanding Sasuke had caused in the heat of the moment. "You see my idiot brother was bluffing, and it's all just a big misunderstanding."

"Yeah, well... you can't get out of it now," the man retorted with a frown. "I've already paid for the advertisement. So you have no choice other than to write a song and perform it live on national television. I will see you on the 31st." With that the man walked away.

"Sasuke," Kim growled out, her right eye twitching. Everyone in the entire restaurant could feel her killer intent radiating from her, though most did not know what it was. "You are going to help me write a song and compose all the music, and you are going to be my personal assistant."

"What's a personal assistant," Sasuke asked confused.

"It's basically a nicer term for lackey," Hana informed him, remembering a mission she had once taken to guard a reporter that had no sense of self preservation. She thought for a moment, then added, "Errand boy." Itachi choked back a laugh at the look of horror that passed over his little brother's face. Kim rounded on him.

"Since you think it's so funny, you're helping me too." She grabbed both of the boys by the fronts of their shirts and dragged them off to Kami only knows where.

***

The three days to New Year's Eve passed by swiftly. Kim had found out that the hotel resort had a private music room. After a bit of explaining to the manager she had gotten him to let her use the room with no interruptions from the other guests or staff members, aside from room service. When all that was done, Kim dragged Sasuke and Itachi into the room, and they were only seen during meals or when Jade forced them to come out and actually enjoy everything the island resort had to offer.

All too soon, the day of the concert arrived. Before the concert was the fashion show. They were seated in the audience in the front row along the circular stage. The models came out from the side of the stage, dressed in the showcasing designers' clothing for the next season, walked along the stage, struck a pose on both sides and in the center, and then walked back to where they came out from to change into the next outfit. They were all bored out of their minds, and not even Jade, who loved all things designer, was having a good time. Everyone had noticed the quick glares Bianca shot towards Kim, the betrayed stares directed at Ren, or the flirty little smiles she gave Kakashi.

Finally, the fashion show had come to an end. Kim, Itachi, and Sasuke got up from their seats and headed backstage while everyone else remained seated. When they got backstage they went directly to the dressing room that was reserved for them. They all changed into their performance outfits. A woman came into the room blabbing about how excited she was to be doing the make-up of her idol. Once the woman said that, Itachi pushed her out of the room, and Kim settled in the chair in front of the mirror to do her own hair and makeup with the help of Sasuke and Itachi.

They were all standing to the side of the stage waiting for their turn. Kim was wearing a long silky robe that went down to the floor covering her dress. A former designer Bianca had gotten blacklisted, had gone up to her and asked her if he could design the perfect dress for her. He showed her some of his previous work, and she agreed. When she saw the finished dress for the first time she simply loved it.

"Nervous," Sasuke asked the ebony haired girl. She was playing with the ties on her robe seeming to be getting frustrated with them, and then she was playing with her hair by twirling locks of it around her fingers.

"A little," she replied, brushing her long bangs to the side and patting them down.

"You should be," a voice said from beside them. They turned their heads to see none other that Bianca Garcia the horrible mother, and like Kim, she was wearing a robe. Juan Gutierrez had just finished explaining everything to the audience and had just called out to Bianca. She gave Kim a smirk. Letting her robe slide down her shoulders, she made her way out to center stage with practiced ease.

Though Bianca was a horrible woman, she looked amazing in her aqua-blue floor length, empire waist with silver belts bedazzled with blue and green gems under her bust. Her hair was in a crazy up-do with a braid going over her head like a headband and a few locks of curled hair framing her face. There was a light purple orchid placed in her hair. Her makeup consisted of pink blush, black mascara, black eyeliner on the top of the eyelid and under the eye, a soft gray eye shadow that made her icy blue eyes pop, and a light coral pink lipstick.

"I would like to dedicate this song to a certain someone special out in the audience tonight," she announced sending a wink in Kakashi's direction. The white haired man, and fearless Jonin, tried to make himself as small and invisible as possible.

After she had said that, the band began to play a familiar beat. It was the song that Kim had worked on for three days straight. Backstage the Uchiha Trio froze in shock. Snapping back to their senses, their heads snapped over to Bianca who was standing center stage. Kim had caught her eye, and the blue eyed woman sent her a bright smile. Then she opened her mouth and began to sing the song that her daughter had worked so hard on.

"You can't go out and sing the same song. What are you going to do," Itachi asked softly, placing a calming hand on his little sister's trembling shoulder. On the inside, he was seething with rage and it took everything he had to keep his bloodline limit from activating. Kim had worked so hard to write that song, and Bianca had somehow gotten a hold of it. When had she even gotten the song?

"I...I might have an idea. How fast can you guys memorize new sheet music," Kim asked almost uncertainly. At first, she was angry when she heard her mother, if she could even be called that, singing her song, but then she really got to thinking about it and her anger began to wane. It was so Bianca. She should have expected it. Then she remembered something from a long time ago. It was back during the last few months she spent living with her mother. A song she had written when she had reached her lowest point, right before she made up her mind to leave and find her father.

"What are you planning," Sasuke asked curious. He was feeling the same way as his brother. She had forced him into helping her write the lyrics and compose the music, and before that she had chased him around with a frying pan because he was the sole reason she was even performing in the first place.

"Here," she said, handing the two brothers separate folded up sheets of music she kept in the black notebook she carried with her at all times. Sasuke got the sheet music for the piano, and Itachi had gotten the sheet music for the violin. Learning to play the piano was another one of the things Kim had forced Sasuke to do, though the three of them had enjoyed learning to play each other's instruments. The brothers quickly activated their Sharingan and scanned over the sheet music and mimicked their hands as if they were playing their instrument.

When Bianca had finished singing she bowed graciously to the cheers of the audience and walked off the stage headed to the area where the three were standing. She flashed them all a smile and went to go take her seat that was in the front row of the stage. She took a seat right next to Kakashi, who let his obvious distaste for the woman show clear as day on his face. He, yet again, reminded her that he was dating her daughter.

Everyone focused their attention on the stage, they cheered as Itachi and Sasuke walked out on stage and took their places. Sasuke took his place beside a large black piano, Itachi was standing off to the side of the piano holding his violin, and the drummer was atop a platform. The Uchiha Brothers wore pressed black slacks with black button down shirts and white ties.

The audience held their breaths when Kim walked out on the stage, and took a seat behind the large piano. The girl who always hid from everyone, looked absolutely breathtaking. Kakashi felt his heart speed up in a way that only the missions he received as an ANBU could make it. He had to remind himself that they would be leaving soon and he would never see her again, but even he had to admit that she look beautiful. He couldn't help comparing her to an angel in that moment.

Kim's ebony hair had been straightened and then given loose curls and pinned to the side in a loose ponytail with her long bangs brushed to the side. Her makeup was kept simple; eyeliner was applied only to her eyelids which were covered in a light champagne eyeshadow, and her lips had an even redder tint than usual. She wore a floor length a-line dress with a deep v-neckline, lace bodice and a chiffon skirt with a slit running up to mid-thigh, exposing her left leg with every step she took. Thin straps wrapped over her shoulders and under her arms, holding the dress up and leaving her entire back, down to her hips, exposed.

"Um... I've never really done this before so just bear with me," Kim explained shyly, staring down at the piano key as she struggled to adjust her microphone. "I was originally going to sing a different song, but I've decided not to. Instead I'm going to sing a song that I had written a long time ago. It's really personal and close to my heart, and I really hope you all like it."

She lifted her head to look at all of her friends, family, in the audience. Her gaze lingered over her father a little longer than the others, then she locked gazes with her mother. Looking into her eyes, she knew that this was her chance to say the things she had not said before. She turned her head around to look at everyone up on the stage with her and gave them all a nod, telling them to get ready.

Smoke slowly began to cover the floor of the stage. With her hands hovering over the black and white keys, Kim took a calming breath. Then lowering her fingers, she began to play the first few bars of her song.

"Skies are crying, I am watching  
Catching teardrops in my hands  
Only silence, as it's ending  
Like we never had a chance  
Do you have to make me feel like  
There's nothing left of me?

You can take everything I have  
You can break everything I am  
Like I'm made of glass  
Like I'm made of paper  
Go on and try to tear me down  
I will be rising from the ground  
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper

She removed the microphone from its stand and took to her feet as Sasuke slid in to take her place at the piano. The boy gave her hand a gentle squeeze of encouragement before she made her way to the edge of the stage. As she walked, the smoke covering the stage parted with the long flowy skirt of her dress.

As the smoke clears, I awaken  
And untangle you from me  
Would it make you, feel better  
To watch me while I bleed?  
All my windows still are broken  
But I'm standing on my feet

You can take everything I have  
You can break everything I am  
Like I'm made of glass  
Like I'm made of paper  
Go on and try to tear me down  
I will be rising from the ground  
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper

Dark brown nearly black eyes stared into arctic blue eyes. Her heart felt heavy but she kept on singing even as her eyes began to burn from the unsteady tears and voice began to thicken with raw emotion.

Go run, run, run  
I'm gonna stay right here,  
Watch you disappear  
Yeah-oh, go run, run, run  
Yeah, it's a long way down  
But I am closer to the clouds up here

You can take everything I have  
You can break everything I am  
Like I'm made of glass  
Like I'm made of paper, oh-oh  
Go on and try to tear me down  
I will be rising from the ground

Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper  
(Like a skyscraper)  
Like a skyscraper, like a skyscraper,” she whispered the last line of the song bowing her head. Somewhere in the middle of the song she began to let her tears fall. She let her hand that was holding the microphone drop to rest at her side, afraid to look up.

Suddenly, cheers broke out through the crowd. Slowly lifting up her head she saw that the entire audience, aside from Bianca who was nowhere to be seen, was standing on their feet clapping, cheering, and whistling; they were giving her a standing ovation. A bright smile stretched across her face, and her eyes shined with happiness. They had all started to chant for an encore, and she gave it to them by performing a song called 'Lightweight' followed by 'Give Your Heart a Break.'

As soon as she was off of the stage, the man who designed her dressed stopped to thank her for supporting him. He then removed the detachable skirt which left her dress to fall just below her knees. Soon after, everyone gathered at the restaurant on the beach for the final countdown and the fireworks finale. When they were all together, they congratulated her. They showered her with hugs and praises. Deidara shocked everyone by giving her a hug, but what shocked them more was when she returned the hug with a smile on her face.

When all that was over and done with, the ebony haired girl made her way out to walk on the beach. She was still in her performance dress, and she had taken off her shoes and left them on a nearby bench along. It was already thirty minutes till midnight; thirty minutes until the new year.

The moon was hanging proudly in the center of the night sky. The only sounds that could be heard were the waves crashing on the shore, and the faint sound of music in the distance.

"You little bitch," a voice screeched from behind her. She whirled around in surprise, not even her training had allowed her to hear anyone approach her. Behind her, at the top of the stairs that lead down to the beach, stood her mother with tears streaming down her face. "You ruined everything! First you take that hot guy away from me! Then you try to take the spotlight away from me! And now because of you I'm going to look bad! I already got released from my contract at the modeling agency!"

"Is she bothering you," a deep and silky voice said, interrupting the woman's rant. Bianca groaned in frustration and stormed away, bumping shoulder with the man. Kim turned her head and caught sight of the white haired Hatake.

"Not anymore," Kim replied as she turned around fully in order to face him. She raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her arms. "Shouldn't you be at the party right now?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he retorted, casually walking down the stairs with his hands shoved in his pants' pockets. She noted how he ditched his suit jacket, and opted to roll the navy blue sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows. She thought over her response as Kakashi removed his shoes and socks, placing them along with hers, and rolled up his pant legs halfway.

"It was too loud, and I think I've had enough excitement for one night," she told him with a smile, linking her arm with his when he offered.

"That was some performance," he proclaimed, leading her down to the shoreline. He flashed he a teasing smile. "You really are a weird one."

"How am I weird," she whined, tugging on his arm while giving him a hopeless frown.

"I don't know. You just are," he mused with all his so-called wisdom.

"I'm going to start taking it as a compliment from now on," she joked.

They remained silent as they finally made it to where the sand met the water, letting the gentle waves wash over their feet. Kakashi stood and watched as the small woman released his his arm from her hold and walked deeper into the water, twirling as she went and then reaching a hand out for him. He took her hand and spun her around a few times, feeling the water soak the cuffs of his pants. Stopping, he pulled her in close, holding her hands to his chest.

"You know... it's about two minutes till midnight."

"I'm aware."

"As my boyfriend, are you going to give me a kiss at midnight," she asked playfully, giving the man a flirty smile. He pursed his lips, thinking, and then he shook his head 'no' like a little child. She pouted cutely before throwing her arms around his neck and he gave her one of his crinkled eye smiles. He touched his forehead to hers and brought up a hand to pull off the black bandana from the lower half of his face.

Her breath got caught in her throat at the sight of his exposed face. He did not have any deformities; there were no buck teeth, blimp lips or a small mouth. His face was not covered in an array of scars, nor did it have a freaky tan line. His skin was perfectly smooth, his skin tone even with a little mole beneath the left corner of his lower lip, and he had a strong jaw. She saw that his scar that went over his left eye stretched down to the top of his cheekbone. Bringing a hand up, she cupped his cheek and traced his scar with her thumb. He stiffened at first, but he soon relaxed into her touch.

"10!" They hear the beginning of the countdown in the distance.

"You don't have to," Kim reasoned, already knowing what he was thinking.

"9!"

"I know, but I want to," Kakashi explained. He reached up a hand and wrapped it around her wrist, turning his head to place a kiss on the palm of her hand.

"8!"

"Do you think that we could ever be a couple," she stuttered out, fighting back a shiver.

"7!"

"No."

"6!"

"Why not?"

"5!"

"We just can't."

"4!"

"Yes, we can."

"3!"

"No. We can't."

"2!"

"We can, if you'd just try!"

"1! Happy New Year!"

Their lips met, sealing the promise she made him. Her hands moved up to tangle themselves in his hair as he wrapped his arms around her and resting his hand on her exposed back, pressing her body flush against his chest. She couldn't help but think that she was enjoying his touch on her bare skin a little too much.

He loved the way her lips felt on his; soft and inviting and like nothing he had ever experienced before. His heart sped up in the same way it did when he was out on a mission as an ANBU. Three times in one night she had gotten that same reaction out of him. The first was when he saw her walk out onto that stage looking like an angel. The second, when she was singing in a way that seemed just for him. In his life and his career, he had many Kunoichi try and seduce him so that they could assassinate him but they always failed. If the small dark-eyed and ebony haired girl was the one to do the job, he would go happily and without a fight. The third time was the kiss she was giving him.

The way she made him actually feel, scared him to no end. As a shinobi he should not be feeling that way, she could be a liability. She was distracting him from creating a jutsu that could take him, along with the others, back home. In the back of his mind, a small part of him hoped that she proved him wrong. He hoped that she would make him stronger and not be a weakness.

He allowed his hands to slowly trail down her body until they reached her thighs, and lifted her off the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he turned around and walked out of the water. Carefully, and without breaking their kiss, he laid her down on the dry sand. He would worry about everything else later and only focus on the now.


	40. Don't Say Goodbye

The morning after, everyone had noticed a shift in Kakashi and Kim’s relationship. After the two had returned from the beach they had been inseparable, even making Hana switch rooms with Kakashi so that she ended up with Itachi. It was a strange thing to see a more playful side of the white haired man. They could all see the way Kim glowed when he was around, and they could see her falling even further for the man.

After New Year’s they stayed for a couple more days, revisiting the spa, water park, and the beach before leaving bright and early, Saturday morning at eight. They arrived back at the loft about ten minutes to midnight the next day. Everyone went straight to bed once they had managed to drag themselves from the van and up to their respective rooms. In the early morning, Ren had unloaded the forgotten bags from the back of the van and hauled them into the closed lobby before heading off to drop of the van at the rental place. Once the others were awake and fed, they resumed their daily schedules of work or school.

Kakashi stayed true to his word, and when he woke up the first morning back at the loft, he got straight to work on creating the jutsu that would take them all back to where they belonged. He never had any free time anymore, since he spent all of his time working on creating the jutsu. While he was working with the others, they figured that his Kamui was going to play a big part in their travel back to the Elemental Nations. Since it was a space-time Ninjutsu and could teleport things and people to a sub-dimension, all they really had to do was figure out a way to alter it to the point where it would be able to take them back home. Kakashi had also spent time with Itachi trying to strengthen his Kamui to the point where he could transport them all safely.

***

“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you,” Kim asked in reference to the promise she made him just a few seconds before the start of the new year. She rolled over on her bed and laid on her stomach, watching Kakashi work at her desk. Every time she was around him, her heart would beat faster, her body began to feel warm, and she just couldn't stop smiling. 

“Make what easy,” he questioned confused, biting his pen as he read over his jutsu formulas. He had not been paying any attention to her at all. The ebony haired female sighed in frustration, and the white haired man crumbled up the piece of paper then continued to work out a formula on a new sheet. He had been doing that ever since they had returned to the loft.

“Kakashi,” Kim tried, yet again, to get the man’s attention. One thing she had noticed since they'd gotten back, was that Kakashi seemed to be distancing himself from her. When she asked him to train with her he always declined claiming that he needed to work on the jutsu or train with Itachi. She had asked him again if they could ever be together, and he gave her the same answer he had given her that night on the beach, only that time he said he had his reasons. She vowed that she would figure out his reasons and prove him wrong, although it was kind of hard to do that because whenever she tried to talk to him he was always busy and would ignore her until she went away. She briefly entertained the idea of striping naked, but thought otherwise.

Two months went by in the same fashion; Kakashi ignoring her to work on his jutsu and training. The man would spend all of his time working on the jutsu, and he even cleared up his schedule by sending a shadow clone into work for him. The others were beginning to become worried about him. He would skip out on meals and stay up all hours of the night. Everyone had forced him to take breaks every now and then, and on Ren and Konan’s birthdays in January and February.

It was the beginning of March, when he had finally completed the jutsu. He had worked out all the hand seals that they would need to perform. It would be a collaboration jutsu with his Kamui. With the jutsu complete, he couldn't help but feel a little downhearted that they would be leaving the place that they had learned to call home along with the three people that had become a part of their lives, but... they needed to get back to their home dimension. As shinobi they had a duty to serve and protect their villages, and they couldn't do that while stuck in a different dimension; even if it meant leaving the people they had met behind no matter how attached they had become. There was also the matter of the three remaining Akatsuki members that were still running amok.

“Kaka-sensei why are you dressed in your uniform,” Naruto asked as he, along with the others, walked in through the front door to long after receiving an urgent text message from the white haired Jonin asking for them to all go back to the loft during lunchtime. When they all walked in the first thing that they all noticed was that he was dressed in his Konoha ninja uniform.

“Yeah, what was so urgent that you couldn’t say over a text,” Nagato asked. The redhead was having a blast unpacking the newest merchandise at work, and had been worried about the sudden message.

“It’s done,” was Kakashi's exhausted reply. Everyone immediately knew what he was talking about. They all knew what was going to come next. Even though it was what they had wanted from the very beginning, they were a bit reluctant to leave, some more than others, each with their own reasons.

Soon the ninja were all dressed in the clothes they had arrived in and were standing around the living room. Jade had her arms wrapped tightly around Deidara. The blond was at a loss. He didn't want to leave his girlfriend behind, nor did he want to leave Ren and Kim. Ren was like the father he never had, and he was just starting to get along with Kim, though she still scared him at times. The Uchiha brothers were standing on either side of Kim. Everyone was saying their goodbyes. There were a few tears here and there as hugs were being passed around. Naruto was the most dramatic with his farewells, but no one could really blamed him, because they were all feeling the same way and they couldn't express it as openly as the blond boy.

“Come with me,” Deidara blurted out to the girl in his arms, stunning everyone in the room. He didn't want to lose his most precious person, and if he stayed he would never be able to be his true self, explosions and all. He knew very well what he was asking her to do and if she said no, he would understand.

“I don’t… Deidara, I…” Jade sputtered in confusion. She knew with all her heart that she wanted to be with him forever, but she couldn't leave her best friend behind. She looked over to her best friend, who silently motioned for her to follow after her. Jade gave her boyfriend a look before walking to her best friend’s room.

“You have to go with him,” Kim stated as soon as she heard the door shut behind them, turning around to faced the redhead. Jade was about to say something but was interrupted before she could even start. “You will be miserable if you don’t.”

“But what about you? I can’t leave you, my best friend, behind to suffer all alone,” Jade argued. She pulled at the ends of her hair in frustration.

“What kind of best friend... what kind of sister would I be if I kept you from being with Deidara? I know you love him, and I know he loves you just as much, if not more. Everyone can see it." She bit her lip, tilting her head to the side in thought. "It'll be hard without you here with me, but... I’ll be fine just as long as I know that you're happy,” Kim reasoned, making Jade frown.

“Why don’t you come with us? That way we can all be together,” Jade offered, hope shining in her eyes.

“I can’t,” Kim said softly, sad dark brown eyes staring into teary hazel green eyes. “My dad… I just can’t leave him behind. He needs me and I need him. I know that since you don’t care for your father, it’s easier to say goodbye, but my dad is all I have and… I just can’t let him go.” Her shoulders were starting to tremble along with her lower lip as she fought back tears.

“The both of you can come with us," Jade declared, instantly perking up. "I know that they would all be happy if we went with them.”

“I can’t ask my dad to give up everything for me just because I can’t let go of my friends. I’ve already asked too much if him.”

“So I guess this is goodbye,” Jade spoke sadly. She threw her arms around her best friend and cried. “I’m really going to miss you.”

“Thank you for being my friend,” the ebony haired girl sobbed into the redheaded girl’s shoulder. After taking the time to compose themselves, the two girls returned to the living room where the others were.

“If you don’t want to come you don’t have to, un,” Deidara said timidly, afraid to hear her answers. One word could make or break him.

“I’m going with you,” Jade squealed as she ran to throw her arms around the blond. His heart soared but he couldn't help but feel sadness at the fact that he was taking her away from her best friend. He looked over to Kim to see her eyes shining with a mixture of happiness and sadness; happiness because her best friend would be with the man she loved, and sadness because her best friend was leaving forever.

There was a second round of goodbyes to the father and daughter duo. There was more hugging and crying. Ren hugged the redheaded girl he had considered to be his daughter while threatening Deidara to take care of her. The blond conceded.

Kakashi felt a twinge of hurt when Kim wouldn't meet his eyes and quietly refused his embrace. He regretted not spending any time with her during the last two months. She only ignored him because she knew that if she were to hug him she would never want to let go. If she were to hear his voice it would break her hold on her emotions. If she looked in his eyes, her resolve to let him go would shatter. It was hard enough as it was for her to say goodbye to her best friend, much less the man she had fallen in love with... the man she stupidly dreamed of a future with.

They traveled into the clearing in the woods, the two best friends holding hands the entire way. Ren had to stay behind because of a customer at the shop. He was never really one for getting emotional, though he would miss the lively energy they brought with them. Once they were all in the clearing the ninja and Jade gathered in a circle in the center of the field and after a final round of goodbyes, Kim moved to stand off to the side.

Jade’s breathing was labored like she had run a marathon without stopping to take a break. Tears were dripping from her chin. Her eyes were starting to swell and she was hiccupping. She didn't want to lose her best friend. She wrapped her arms around Deidara’s waist and buried her head in his chest, feeling him wrap his arms tightly around her smaller form. She couldn't stand to look at Kim’s sad face. She wanted to remember all the smiles and tears of joy, not the frowns and tears of sadness.

Kim was mute. She was about to lose everyone she had ever opened up to. Jade was the first friend she ever made, Itachi and Sasuke had become her brothers, but the one that stood out the most was Kakashi. Her feelings for the Hatake were still jumbled in a tangled mess. How was she going to make sense of them if he was in a different dimension? How was she supposed to keep her promise of proving him wrong if he was gone?

The ninja and Jade were gathered in Kakashi's line of sight. Kakashi activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, and took one last and final look at the lone girl he performed a series of hand seals. When he formed the last hand seal there was a blinding white light that had slowly started to surround them as their forms started to swirl out of focus.

Kim's heart began beating erratically and her head began to throb as tears fell from her eyes. She stumbled forward, falling to her knees, clutching her head in agonizing pain as a burning sensation surged through her eyes.

He heard Kim cry out, and it took everything he had not to run over to her and tell her that he was going to stay and that everything would be alright. When he realized she was screaming in physical pain and not emotional pain he snapped his gaze towards her and was shocked when he saw her eyes. Her irises were glowing red with three tomoes where her pupil was supposed to be. When their gazes locked the three tomoes began to spin rapidly.

There was a sudden buildup of energy around them, and the others forms came back into focus as the white light took on a bluish glow before there was an explosion. Just before the explosion Kakashi ran over to Kim and wrapped his arms around her. The blue light was the last thing anyone saw before everything went black.

***

High above the earth, a satellite that happened to be passing by picked up on a sudden buildup of energy, and sent its findings to an undisclosed location somewhere in the United States. The findings of suspicious high energy levels were displayed on a large screen where they could be analyzed, which is exactly what was done. The analyst reported the findings to her superior, who then when to his superior and then on and on until it reached the man in charge of it all. After reading through the findings, he gave the order to a select few to head out and perform a thorough investigation.


	41. Something Went Wrong

Ren was in the middle of talking to a customer when he felt the buildup of energy. He instantly knew what it meant; it meant that the jutsu was being performed and the people that he had come to know were about to leave. He was confused by the fact that his daughter didn't want to go with then, even more so when her best friend decided to go as well. He thought for sure that she would have come running up to him begging him to go with them and since he wouldn't want to let her go alone and would have gone with her. Getting to start over in a different dimension would have been the chance of a lifetime and he wanted to go. When she told him that she wanted to stay he was saddened. What could have been holding her back? He didn't know the answer to that, and he couldn't push her to answer it.

When Ren had gotten out of prison, he turned his entire life around for the sake of the twelve year old daughter he never knew he had. He stopped doing the things that had landed him in prison in the first place, and when his father passed away he took over the family business. If he had gotten the chance to decide what career path he wanted to take, he would have been an inventor and a baker on the side. He joined the military right graduating from high school, and not long after he had become a part of the weapons development division. He was one of the best codebreakers in his unit. When he had down time, he took to baking to relieve stress, and there was also the fact that the food they were served was terrible.

In the end, he decided that everything he had to give up was worth it. The best part was that he got to watch his daughter grow up from a little twelve year old ballerina to the almost eighteen year old warrior. He wished that there was a way for him to have been a part of her life as a child; to have been able to watch her run around and play and to hold her in his arms.

The ground shook and Ren and the customer had to grab hold of the desk separating them to keep from falling over. The cars by the windows rattled across the floor, some falling over, and the pictures hanging on the wall fell and shattered on the linoleum. Banging and clattering could be heard from within the garage.

“Ma’am are you alright,” Ren asked as he helped the fallen woman back up to her feet, checking for injuries. Sadly, it was that older woman who seemed to have an intense infatuation with him, and a grudge against his daughter.

“I bet that was the doing of one of those strange foreign kids that have taken residence in your house,” the woman grumbled as she stood up. She checked her clothes for any stains or wrinkles, and when she was satisfied with her appearance she smiled flirtatiously at Ren.

“Your car's done. I’m going to go and check on my delinquents now,” the dark haired man stated before he ran out the side door.

He ran straight to the path they'd made, leading to the clearing deep in the woods. When he broke through the surrounding trees he was stunned by what he saw. The ground seemed as if Sakura had gone on a rampage after her blond loudmouthed teammate made a tackless remark or Deidara had decided to set off one of his bombs. Some trees had been uprooted and craters were scattered all around the area. Wisps of smoke were rising from a few of the craters.

Thrown on the ground next to him was the backpack Kakashi had been wearing earlier that day. He walked over to the pack and picked it up. Opening it up, he was met with an unconscious Pakkun. The little brown dog appeared to be smaller than normal, almost like he had somehow reverted back to being a puppy. Ren placed the pack on the ground and placed the little dog on top of it, before he walked to the side of the clearing towards one of the many craters.

When he peered inside another one of the craters, he was shocked to say the least. There were two small children lying unconscious at the bottom lying in a pile of clothes that were much too large for their tiny bodies. The most shocking things were their features. The boy had dirtied white hair that flopped in front of his eyes. When the wind blew it pushed his hair to the side exposing the scar that ran straight down his left eye. He had his arms wrapped tightly around a small girl as if he was trying to protect her... the small girl with long ebony colored hair that flowed down her back.

The worried father went over to go check and see if the other craters had the others within them. He made quick work of picking up the unconscious children and taking them back to the loft. After he arranged the children on the sofas in the living room, he worried they would fall off and get hurt. While his paternal instincts screamed at him not to leave them alone, he ran over to one of the guest rooms and stole a twin mattress. He moved the coffee table in front of the tv stand, and replaced it with the bed before carefully placing the children on it.

The man sat down on the floor looking over his miniaturized delinquents. He guessed from their size, they had to be around three, maybe four, years old. Ren laughed at their overall cuteness and chubby cheeks. They all looked like peaceful little angles as they slept. It was strange to see them all like that when he was used to seeing them as rowdy, and or serious, instead of sweet and innocence.

“Who are you,” the little boy with spiky blond hair asked. The little tyke had sat up where he was sleeping and was rubbing his eyes. He was staring at Ren with a blank expression like he was used to waking up in a room with strangers.

“Naruto, don’t you remember me,” Ren asked confused and a bit freaked out by the boy’s facial expression. The blond remained silent and continued to stare at him with that same blank expression. The dark haired man sighed. “My name is Ren, and I’m going to be taking care of you and the others for a while.”

“Okay,” Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders as he took in the sight of the others for the first time. He only recognized three others in the group that were still sleeping soundly on the mattress. They were the girl with the shoulder length pink hair, the boy with the midnight black colored hair that stuck up funny in the back, and the girl with super short indigo colored hair. When his stomach gave a low rumble, looked up at Ren with sparkling blue eyes. “Hey mister, do you have any ramen?”

“Come on,” Ren said laughing at the blond, he guessed some things never changed. The man led the boy to a seat at the breakfast bar, then he went to go prepare a bowl of ramen for him. Once it was cooked he poured it from the pot and into a bowl, grabbing a pair of chop sticks, which Naruto himself suggested they buy, from the draw, and set it front of the kid.

“Can I have another bowl please,” the three year old Naruto asked as he held up his empty bowl. Ren nodded his head as he got to work making another bowl of ramen. “Mister why are we here? Where is here?”

“Uh…” Ren was not really prepared to answer those questions. He turned his focus onto the pot of boiling water, taking a moment to think. “We are in the Land of Sun, and your Hokage asked me to watch over you all for a few days.” He really hoped the boy believed him.

“That’s so cool, dattebayo,” the little tyke exclaimed. “I’ve never been out of the village before.”

“Where am I,” a voice asked nearby. The kitchen’s two occupants turned their heads to the side to see a small white haired boy wearing an oversized t-shirt and with a  green scarf wrapped around the lower part of his face. In his arms he was carrying the small brown pug. “Who are you, and who are they?”

“You’re in the Sun Village, and I’ve been asked by your Hokage to watch over you all specifically,” Ren explained.

“There is no such thing as the Sun Village,” the five year old Kakashi retorted. Ren inwardly groaned. He remembered that Kakashi and Itachi were going to be problems since they were the geniuses of the group.

“We’re a newly established village.” Kakashi seemed to buy it, though he remained suspicious. He knew something was going on.

“What’s going on,” a sleepy female voice asked causing a dopey smile form on Ren’s face. He walked over to the small child and lifted her up into his arms. The little three year old gave him a strange look. Ren walked out of the room with her, and explained to her who he was. Once he was done explaining, there was a large smile on her face as her eyes shined in pure happiness. He put the little girl down and watched as she skipped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. Giving up, she moved over to the snack drawer. She pulled out a a bag of gummy worms and sat between the two boys at the bar counter.

“Do you guys want some,” she shyly offered some of her candy to the two boys sitting beside her. Naruto took some with a grin, and Kakashi declined. She pouted at him, and he relented taking a few pieces.

All to soon, the loft was filled with twelve three and five year olds running on sugar highs. Although Kakashi was never one to lose control, he was still a five year old and he reacted just like a five year old would when given too much sugar. Apparently it was a lie when Sasuke said he claimed to not like sweets. They were all running around jumping on all the furniture and dropping things left and right. At least he was able to get the white haired boy’s mind of trying to figure out what was going on.

Ren was able to easily deduce that not only their bodies, but also their minds were reverted back to the ages of three or five years old. It was nice at first, but then he regretted giving them candy. It only got worse when Itachi and Kakashi started walking on the walls, witch the others wanted to learn, and left little dirty footprints all over the walls and even on the celling. They were screaming and yelling and a couple fights between a few of them, but they were quickly resolved. Whenever Ren tried to get them to calm down, they would respond to him with sad faces and start pouting. Then Kim would start to whine and call him ‘Daddy,’ and the others would mimic her. After that he would be putty in their tiny, devious, hands and give them whatever they wanted or do what they asked.

He collapsed in exhaustion on the sofa, only intending to rest his eyes for a moment, but when he woke up from his unexpected nap, he realized the house was too quiet. Slowly, he walked down the hallway stopping when he heard laughing coming from what used to be Jade’s bedroom. He entered the room and instantly regretted it. The room was a disaster zone. Pillows had been ripped with feathers scattered and sticking all over, and not to mention the paint all over the wall and the children who were fast asleep on the floor while his daughter and Kakashi jumped on the bed trying to touch the ceiling.

Shaking his head he walked over to the slumbering children and gently shook them awake. Once everyone was up, he took them to the bathroom for bath time. It was pretty awkward for him at first, but then he got the hang of it. Getting them in the tub was hard although it was not as hard as it was getting them out of it. One by one he scrubbed them clean, and then got them dressed in their own shirts that were much too large on their smaller bodies.

After putting them to bed, Ren sat back on the sofa to watch TV with his, now three year old, daughter sleeping on top of him. He watched his tribe as they slept strewn out on the mattress on the floor. He couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of Kakashi being used as a body pillow by Naruto, or the way Deidara and Jade held hands in their sleep.

“I think I can figure out a way to get us back to normal,” a voice sounded from the pile of sleeping children.

“When did you… You know what never mind. Go back to bed. Your five year old body can’t take the stress of staying up so late,” Ren called out. He watched as the boy with chin length red hair shrugged his shoulders and laid his head back down on the pillow, cuddling with his blue haired best friend.


	42. Devil's Children

“Nagato,” Ren called out to the little redheaded boy. When said boy came running up to him, and asked to be taken to the bathroom, Ren knew that his mind had reverted back to that of a five year old's. He took the little boy to the restroom to do his business and then sent him back to play with the others. The man then threw himself on the sofa in the living room while letting out a groan of frustration.

At first the children were adorable, but after a few hours they started to get a bit out of hand. Even Itachi and Sasuke were acting up and running all over the place with the others. He had to admit that the bright smiles on their faces were too adorable. Then there was the childlike innocence and the gleams of excitement in their eyes as they all played together. Though there were a few times that they got into little squabbles with each other or threw temper tantrums when they didn't get what they wanted, but that was quickly and easily resolved.

There was one little five year old that chose not to play with the others. He just so happened to be the smallest of his age group. The little boy with the spiky white hair was sitting on the sofa flipping through the channels at a rapid pace, nearly giving Ren a headache (that was when he found out how the others felt when he could not decide on what to watch.) When Kakashi got bored with channel surfing he got up to walk around. He found some of Kim’s old school textbooks. There were a bunch of different subjects for him to read about, subjects he never even heard of; Greek Mythology, Phycology, Sociology, Criminology, English Literature, Math, Science, Spanish, French, Music, World History, World Geography, Biology, Human Anatomy, and Chemistry among many others.

What confused Ren was the fact that he seemed to be reading and understanding the upper high school and college level texts. He watched as the little boy flipped through the pages skimming over its contents or reading at an accelerated pace.

Kakashi got the feeling that he was being watched. He put his finger on the spot where he was reading, and looked over to the man that was staring intensely at him. He blinked and leaned back on the sofa.

“Why are you staring at me,” he asked bluntly with a slight glare. Kakashi knew that the man was hiding something from him. Why would the Hokage randomly ask some man from a barely developing village to watch over him and a few others? Two of which belonged to the Uchiha clan, two from the Uzumaki clan and one of them who apparently had the Rinnegan? Also what had happened to his left eye, and why was it replaced with a Sharingan? Why was he getting flashes of events that never happened? One moment he would have complete clarity and then he would go back to being confused.

“Don’t give me attitude boy,” Ren warned. It seemed to have no effect on the kid, seeing as he gave the tan skinned man a blank stare. Said man rolled his eyes and let out a sigh. “Can you even understand what’s in those books?”

“Yes. All Genin are able to read,” the boy replied while flipping a page in the World Geography book he was reading. “Why are we here?”

“I already told you. You guys are here because the Hokage ask-“

“According to the maps I found in this book, we are not in the Elemental Nations. Apparently they do not exist, and we’re in the United States of America. In Texas along the gulf coast to be more precise,” Kakashi informed crossing his arms and staring the man down. Even though the white haired boy was just that, a boy, his glare still had Ren on edge. Ren really missed the older easy going version of the guy, the version that could have possibly given him grandchildren.

“Wait,” Ren said, brely understanding something the kid had said. “You’re a Genin? I thought kids could only graduate from the ninja academy when they were twelve, and you can’t even enroll until you’re seven.”

“I was allowed to enroll early, and I graduated after I took the exit exam,” the boy said lazily, flipping another page in the book. “Will you tell me what happened,” he demanded.

“I hope your future kids act just like you,” Ren muttered under his breath, but the white haired kid still heard him and raised an eyebrow. Then he straightened up and began to explain what had happened. He told them about how they had been teleported to a different dimension as cats, and how a few of them had previously been dead. How his daughter and her best friend found them as cats and took them in. Then he told him about everything that happened after his daughter had accidentally turned him back to his original form. He finished by telling him that he had completed the jutsu that would take them all back to their home dimension, but something had went wrong and when he went to go look for them he found them as they were. “Do you understand now?”

“It makes sense, and explains them,” the kid said pointing to the two Uzumakis and the two Uchihas. “I know all of the members of their clans that reside in Konoha because of my Sensei’s girlfriend. So... I ended up becoming a sensei,” her mumbled the last part, wondering how that could have happened. “It also explains why I’ve been getting these random flashes and moments of clarity. They're my memories coming back to me, and since my mind is trained unlike the others I can remember them better.”

“What do you think, pretty boy?” Kakashi glared at his apparent nickname. “Think you can come up with a jutsu that can reverse this?”

“Yes, I have a few ideas,” he answered, deep in thought. “It might not work, but it’s worth a try. I remember reading about it in a book once. You only get three chances for it to work. After this try we have two more tries left, and then it becomes permanent and you have to grow up from there.” The dark haired man gave him a strange look. “Crazier things have happened.” With that said he walked over to where the others were, and preformed a few hand seals. Ren backed up into the dining room area. He did not want to get hit with the jutsu, on the off chance that something weird happened to him. Once Kakashi formed the last hand seal, the area around him and the others was engulfed in a bright blue light.

The light soon faded, and Ren had to blink his eyes a couple of times until he was able to see clearly. He had to wait about a minute until the little dots of colors stopped appearing every time he blinked. When he could see perfectly he wanted to cry. The jutsu had gone wrong, terribly wrong. Instead of being met with the sight of full grown adults and teenagers, he was met with the sight of twelve ten month old babies. Though he had to admit they were all cuter than before.

The bell that was hanging above the door downstairs in the lobby chimed signaling the arrival of a customer. Ren hung his head in apparent defeat. It would be just his luck for the jutsu to backfire, and for a customer to arrive. Biting his lower lip he walked to the front door and poked his head out to peer down into the lobby. Right then he was sure he would burst into tears at any second. Standing in the lobby was none other than Mrs. Johnson, the old woman that seemed to have taken a liking to him and had a great distaste for his daughter. Ren was wondering what he had done to deserve the punishment that was being dealt to him.

He looked back into the loft and got a good look at all the children. They were all the same. Their hair was shorter and wild. Sasuke’s and Kakashi’s hair still stuck up in places which confused Ren, having thought the two used some type of hair gel, but apparently he was wrong. Sakura, Hinata, and Konan’s hair were still their unusually natural colors, and Jade’s hair had turned a dark red.

The look on Naruto’s face was telling him that the little blond had to go potty. The only problem with that was that a kid’s ability to control their bladders did not develop until around the age of two. The fact held up when a little puddle started to form around the baby boy on the hard wood floor. The other children started to hurriedly crawl away from the little tyke. When Naruto realized that the others had crawled away from him and left him all alone, he burst out into tears and started to cry.

Ren walked up to the little baby, and scooped him up in his arms. Not knowing what to do he started to pat the boy on his back and started to rock from side to side. Soon the little boy was calmed down. Ren did not care that there was a wet spot on his shirt, he was just happy that the little boy wasn't crying anymore. He then went to go wash the boy off in the sink, and change both of their shirts.

As he watched the babies start to play, he realized that he was going to need some things. He would need diapers, clothes, bottles, milk (lots of it), toys and some other things while he figured out how to replicate the jutsu Kakashi performed. He knew he couldn't take them all with him to the store, and wondered who would be willing to watch them while he went and got the things that they would need. A smile that one would call evil grew on his face. He knew the perfect person to watch his adorable babies. With that in mind he walked out the front door and down into the lobby.

“Mrs. Johnson,” he greeted when he walked up to her, genuine happiness shining in his dark eyes.

“Ren,” the aging woman giggled, holding a hand to her mouth as she daintily waved at the man. “How many times do I have to tell you, call me Amy?”

“I guess it must have slipped my mind,” Ren said. On the inside he was crying and gagging at the thought of what he was about to do. He casually draped an arm over the woman’s shoulders and started to walk her over to the front door that led to the loft.

“Oh Ren, you naughty boy,” the woman said in a playful tone. Ren really wanted to fall in a hole and die.

“I need to you to do something for me. A favor, if you will.” The woman nodded vigorously. “Great I’ll be back in about two hours. Just make sure they don’t fight or get hurt. Thank you,” he rushed out, quickly opening the door and none-to-gently pushing her inside, slamming the door behind her.

The woman was met with twelve curious gazes. A look of recognition flashed in their eyes, and few gave her bright smiles.

***

Ren arrived back at the loft three hours later, and parked his truck in its usual place inside the garage. Then he took his time getting out from his seat and gathering all the bags filled with the things that the kids would need. He only got back later than he planned because he wasn't expecting there to be so many other things he would need to get, and some women liked a responsible single father. Then there were all the cute little outfits he had picked out for them, and the toys, mainly building blocks, dolls, and toy cars. At first, he thought it would be a waste because it wouldn't be long until they were back to normal, but then he thought grand-babies and went for it.

When he entered the loft, he was met by a hysterical Mrs. Johnson who flung herself in his arms causing him to drop the bags in the entryway. The kids were sitting in the living room watching cartoons. There had been an argument, and the girls had won; meaning that they were all watching some princess movie. The boys all sulked, though they secretly enjoyed it, while the girls watched the beautiful mermaid sing about spending a day on the beach.

“Oh Ren, they’re terrible,” the woman cried. “The little heathens attacked me. They would not calm down no matter what I did. That one even bit me,” she shouted pointing at Itachi. Then she pointed at Naruto. “And that one I had to give a good spanking to because he...”

“You did what,” Ren roared in anger. The woman backed away in fear, and the children watched on in amusement. They didn't know why, but they felt that the old lady was not a nice one and should be punished. “You had no right to put your hands on my kids!”

“Ren, honey,” the woman tried to calm him down, but he was having one of it.

“Get out,” the infuriated father commanded, pointing a finger to the door to emphasize his point. Once the woman scurried out the door she tried to talk to Ren, but he slammed the door in her face.

When the door was closed, Ren walked over to where the kids were and, one by one, gave them all hugs, then told them to follow him to the bathroom. He lead them to the bathroom in his daughter’s room since her bathtub was the biggest. After he had turned on the water, he stripped them of their much to large shirts and placed them in the tub. Leaving a shadow clone, he ran back out to the living room where he left their things, got what he needed, and then hurried back to the bathroom.

Once bath time was over, he wrapped them all up in towels. Back in the living room he sorted through all the clothes he had bought for them. He dressed them all in footed pajamas.

“Okay kids bedtime,” Ren ordered, clapping his hands after they had finished eating dinner. He put them to bed in Kim's making sure to leave the door open, and then headed to his room to sleep.

 ***

When he woke up the next morning, he he discovered that he couldn't move. Looking down at his body, he saw all the children peacfully sleeping on top of him or curled up to his sides. He figured they must've crawled in at some point in the night. Deciding that since it was a Saturday, he would leave the shop closed for the day, and fell back into a peaceful sleep.


	43. Bright Light

Two weeks had passed and everything was still the same, although there was something strange that had happened. Five days after they had been transformed into ten month olds, they had grown rapidly to eighteen month olds.  If Ren said he did not enjoy it, then he would be lying. The man was having the time of his life playing and caring for them, although he didn't enjoy changing their dirty diapers. He had always wanted the chance to be able to have been there for his daughter while she was still but a mere child, and it was like a dream come true for him.

The day would start with him waking up extra early to make them breakfast, waking them up, feeding them, and then cleaning their messy faces and changing their clothes.  Once they were cleaned up, he would then get the dressed and ready to start the day ahead of them, which mainly consisted of them playing with each other while he worked downstairs. When lunchtime and dinnertime came, he would feed them and then clean them up.

When he took them to the park for the first time, he thought it would be all fun and games. He was proven wrong almost immediately. For one year olds, they ran pretty fast. Deidara always found his way to mud puddles, and he would challenge Itachi to some type of game where the two of them ended up covered in mud from head to toe. Naruto and Kim were the hardest to control, considering that the two never really had anyone to play with growing up. Jade, Konan, and Sakura would all get together and play pretend. Hana would be seen running around with the dogs that would go to the park. Kakashi would always climb to the tallest point of the playground and look at everyone down below. One of the mothers there told Ren that he only did that to feel big because he was the smallest out of the group. Sasuke would sit and pretend to attack the others with a green dinosaur that seemed to come out of nowhere. Nagato would run around shouting something that sounded like ‘I’m a god.’

Currently they were all playing around in the living room while Ren tried to watch his favorite shows on the TV. Jade had discovered her closet that was filled with clothes, and wanted to play dress up and mommy and daddy. Nagato only agreed to play with her because he got to wear a hat, and Hana had ended up playing the baby. Konan and Sakura would play all sorts of games with the dolls, and would use, thankfully washable, markers to put makeup on them.

Kakashi was sitting on the sofa reading one of the children’s books he had found in the pile of toys. He would look at the pictures and make up his own story. Pakkun was sitting beside him listening to the white haired boy tell his story until he fell asleep. Itachi and Deidara were racing their toy cars all over the floor, wall, and whatever else the cars could roll on. Every time one of them lost, the other would call for a rematch a rematch.

Kim and Naruto had taken all the giant Lego blocks and built a giant castle with a wall around it. Kim had forced Hinata into one Jade’s sparkly shirts that fit her like a dress, and made her be the princess. Sasuke played the part of the evil dinosaur, with the green stuffed dinosaur that seemed to come out of nowhere, trying to destroy the kingdom and capture the princess. Naruto and Kim would throw blocks at the evil dinosaur to keep him away.

Ren watched them play with a smile on his face. He wished they could stay like that forever, but he knew that they had to return to their original ages eventually. He knew that the ninja had to return to their home to take care of some unfinished business.

Before he knew it Naruto had gotten all the others to join him in singing the ‘if you’re happy, and you know it’ song. Ren cursed the child at the park who taught them that song. The first time they all sang it, it was adorable, the second time it was cute, the third it was nice, but after hearing them sing it the tenth time in a row, it was beyond irritating. He threw himself back on the sofa releasing a groan that sounded as if he were in pain.

“Kakashi,” the man called out. The white haired little boy stopped his singing, and turned to look at him with curiosity-filled eyes. “Please do the jutsu that'll turn you guys back to normal.” Ren’s hands were covering his ears. The kids singing seemed to have gotten louder. They thought that if they sang louder it would make up for the fact that they messed up some of the words.

Kakashi stared at him, not really understanding what the man was asking him to do. When he put his hands together, Ren felt excitement run through him at the thought of them returning back to their original ages, but the excitement died down when the little boy started clapping his hands and singing along with the others. Ren threw his head back against the back of the sofa and closed his eyes trying to tune out the children’s singing.

Throughout the two weeks, Ren had been keeping an extra close eye on the kids, especially Nagato and Kakashi. He wanted to know if they would be able to regain their memories if only for a little while, but there was no such luck. He loved having them so young, but he really missed the fighting, arguing, yelling, and the chaotic randomness that were his delinquents. He also watched them to see if they would grow again, but after another five days, they were still the same. He had to rule out the option of them suddenly reverting back to their original ages.

While Ren had his eyes closed, he didn't see the look of clarity flash across the white haired boy’s face. The little boy slowly stopped clapping and quickly began to form a series of hand seals. When his small hands formed the last seal there was a burst of white light. The light glowed brightly consuming the entire area around the kids, and then slowly began to fade away.

The man blinked his eyes a couple of times to get his eyes readjusted, and then he waited a few seconds until he stopped seeing different colors every time he blinked. Once his vision had cleared, he jumped to his feet and went to check on the children. He was shocked at what he saw. Once the shock wore off he was a bit disappointed. Lying sprawled out all over the living room were his kids. Though they were not back to their original ages, at least they were not babies anymore. They all seemed to be about twelve years old.

Quickly, he got to work waking them up and once they were awake, he ushered them off to go and get dressed. Soon everyone was sitting around the living room eating pizza. He was fairly sure that mashed potatoes and other finger food would no longer suffice.

“My body hurts,” Jade complained. Everyone had to agree with her there. Their bodies had felt as if they had been stretched and pulled like taffy. “Ha-ha, Dei you look so cute!” Said blond haired person glared at her.

“Well at least we’re not helpless little kids,” Kim stated. “Though I have to agree with Jade, you guys are just adorable.” She was gushing over how the boys looked.

“Ha-ha, Kaka-sensei! I’m taller than you, dattebayo,” Naruto exclaimed in glee. He was standing next to his white haired sensei, and was about two inches taller than he was.

“I was a little on the shorter side growing up,” Kakashi replied nonchalantly, picking the greasy pepperoni off his slice of pizza.

“All I remember was... were just about to leave then the white light turned blue, and I woke up as a five year old,” Sakura stated, reaching over for another slice of pizza.

“Same here,” Nagato chirped. Then he added, “I also remember getting these flashes of random events, but I didn’t know what they were at the time. There were also the moments of clarity where I would remember everything, and then nothing.”

“When we went from being five year to ten months, and eighteen months to twelve, there was always a flash of light. So how did we get back to, well not normal, but older,” Hana asked.

“That was me. I had to look up the jutsu a long time ago,” Kakashi informed. Everyone gave him questioning looks. He sighed. “It had happened to my old genin team, but not me since I was on a mission at the time. I got stuck taking care of them, and finding a way to turn them back. I found the jutsu in a book because apparently this has happened before.”

“So are you going to turn us back already,” Sasuke asked, getting irritated by the fact that his old sensei was doing nothing to get them out of the predicament that they had found themselves in.

“The jutsu uses up a large amount of chakra,” Kakashi explained, giving Sasuke a pointed look. "Since I just performed it, I would need to take a moment to rest." The dark haired boy glared in response.

“What else do you know about the jutsu? Are there any warnings we should take into consideration,” Itachi asked.

“Ah yes,” Kakashi said, thinking over the jutsu and its potential side effects again. “The jutsu can only be performed a total of three times, and whatever age you turn when it’s cast the third time you get stuck there. Then you just go on with your live from there. If you’re younger than you originally were, you get to live that much longer. If you’re older than what you were, then your life was cut short by how ever many years you lost.”

“Well we still have three more tries left, so it’s all good, ‘ttebayo,” Naruto said stretching out on the floor trying to get in a more comfortable position.

“We only have one more try left,” the white haired Jonin enlightened them.

“What,” Konan exclaimed in shock. “What happened to the other two times?”

“Weren’t you guys paying attention to what I was saying,” the Jonin asked, receiving black stares. He took a breath and continued to explain to everyone what they should have been able to have had figured out for themselves. “The first time I used the jutsu was when we were five years old. When I performed it, it turned us into ten month olds then we grew to be eighteen months, but we stopped there. The second time was when we were eighteen months, and it turned us into what we are now. We only have one more shot to get it right.”

Before anyone could actually process what Kakashi had just said, they snapped to attention as their backs when straight as a rod, on high alert. Springing to their feet, they pushed the sofas and chairs out of their way making room for them to move. They backed up against each other shoulder to shoulder forming a circle in the living room, making sure every point of infiltration was covered. Their feet were spread apart, their bodies were tensed, and they wore matching expressions of seriousness while maintaining a calm disposition.

The next thing they heard was the sound of people running up the stairs trying to be quiet and undetected. The running stopped for about five minutes. During those few minutes, Hinata had activated her Byakugan, and confirmed what they all suspected along with the number of opponents they may face.

When the five minutes were up, a silent signal was given and the door was kicked down as the windows were smashed in. Men in bulky black military uniforms, carrying shields or machine guns, poured inside the loft one after the other until they had the group completely surrounded on all sides. Some of them hesitated when they saw that they were a bunch of twelve year olds, save for the one man they recognized, but they had their orders and aimed their weapons at the group.


	44. Invasion

A moment of silence passed between the two groups. The only thing they could hear was the howling wind through the broken windows, and the sound of heavy footsteps ascending the stairs at a sedate pace. The doorknob to the front door of the loft turned slowly and the door was pushed open. In walked a man wearing a uniform similar to the others who had the group surrounded. He had a strong body build and was tall at about six feet. His dark brown hair had hints of gray that suggested that he was not as young as the other men, but had a lot more experience than the others. There was a scar running diagonally downwards on his left cheek, starting from the inner corner of his eye near his nose, and made its way towards his jaw line. He bore a no-nonsense expression and his eyes were cold and calculating.

When he entered the room, the men that were surrounding the group parted like the Red Sea, creating a path that would lead him to stand directly in from of them. As he walked forward his posture was straight and they could see his muscles tensing. He had his arms folded behind him. The sound of his heavy combat boots hitting the ground echoed in the silence, and came to halt as he stood directly in front of the group.

A man holding up a shield slowly shuffled over to the intimidating man, never once taking his eyes off of the group that stood in the middle of the living room. Shakily he pulled out a folder from his pants, and handed it to the man. “I-It’s the file you a-asked for, s-s-sir,” the lank man managed to get out, cowering back when the man turned his hard glare on him. The Sargent snatched the folder out of the younger man’s hand in one swift movement, not saying a word.

The group watched as the man opened the folder and started to skim its contents. No one missed the subtle glances he would send in their direction. On the pages he was glancing at, there were their photos of all of them paper clipped to the upper left corner. They each had a few pages filled out with their information along with all the strange occurrences that happened while they were around, among other things. He closed the folder with a snap in his right hand. He folded his arms behind his back, and began to circle around the group. Every time he would walk in front of someone he would pause, and look them up and down. For some reason, he seemed to linger in front of Ren the longest.

“Did you think we wouldn’t find you,” he spoke with a smirk. “We’ve been watching you all for some time now.”

“Hn,” Sasuke grunted with a smirk of his own. The man with the graying hair snapped his head over to the dark haired boy with the odd hairstyle. He strode over to stand before the boy and looked him in the eyes, getting uncomfortably close. Itachi and Sakura, who were standing on either side of him, touched one of his arms, silently telling him not to do anything stupid.

The man looked Sasuke directly in the eyes, and glared. He would never admit it, but he didn't like the way the boy didn't show any reaction. Sasuke’s face remained impassive as he seemed to stare right on through the man. Sasuke was not intimidated by the man in the least. Giving the boy one final glare, which only served to make the boy smile, the man turned on his heel and began walking around the group again.

“Mister what do you want from us,” Naruto whined at the man, the first to get fed up with the silence and lack of communication. Everyone had to fight the urge to face palm. Leave it to Naruto to demand answers while they were all surrounded and being held at gunpoint. Though they had to admit, they were curious as to why they were being surrounded. It was all so unexpected. No one had thought they would be discovered, and they felt ashamed of themselves for not noticing that they were being watched.

Kakashi had to fight the urge to face palm a second time as he chanced a glance at the short ebony haired girl that was standing between him and the Inuzuka. He had remembered the series of questions she had once asked him when they first met.

***

"Who are you?" He opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off. "You're Kakashi Hatake. I got that, I mean what are you? Are you even human? Can you turn back and forth from a cat to a human? Are you some type of alien race? A Humcat? Were-cat? Animagus?What if the government comes to take you away? What if they take me away too? What about the others, are they like you too? Do you guys have super powers, like super strength? Where do you come from? What planet are you from?" Kim fired of her questions in rapid succession, her eyes widening after every question, not giving Kakashi enough time to respond.

Kakashi clamped a firm hand over her mouth, effectively stopping anymore questions from coming out of her mouth. She still kept on talking even though her mouth was covered, then she finally quieted down when he gave her a look. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. He sighed once and turned to look at her.

"A ninja. Yes. I'm not really sure. Umm, no. What is that exactly? There haven't been any full moons lately. I don't know what that is. I highly doubt that. Yes. You could say that. The Elemental Nations. Earth. Now does that answer all of your questions?" Kim could only nod. She pulled his hand off of her mouth.

"Heh heh. Forget about the whole Humcat and Animagus thing," she said meekly, playing with a piece of hair in embarrassment. Her head snapped up. "Um. There is no country on earth called The Elemental Nations, and people can't turn into cats. I'm sorry, but that just doesn't happen. The only places that would happen are in comic books, or Si-Fi movies. Look I believe you. I try to look at life with an open mind, and judging from what you're wearing I can tell you're not from around here." She said motioning to his form. "Your name though... Kakashi... it kind of sounds Japanese."

***

Kakashi really wished he had taken her questions to heart, and hadn't written them off as dumb random questions. As a shinobi, he should have had made an escape plan if something like this had happened. He never expected for everything to turn out the way it did. He had thought that they would only have to wait a few more days for them to be able to get back to their home dimension. He never expected that they would have grown so attracted to everyone, and for the jutsu to take as long as it did to complete.

If nothing had happened when he had performed the jutsu, they would all be back in the Elemental Nations already. Though if that had been the case, would that mean Kim and Ren would be the only ones being surrounded and held at gunpoint by some military group? What would have happened to them? Would they have been alright? He should have thought everything out.

“What do we want from you,” the Sargent echoed Naruto question, snapping Kakashi out of his thoughts in the process. “We want your powers-“

“You can’t have our powers. You have to work for them, dattebayo,” Naruto shouted in outrage. Everyone’s eyes widened and their muscles tensed when they heard the click of the guns getting ready to fire. Hinata grabbed his arm, stopping him from doing anything stupid. The sunshine haired boy turned to look at her and gave her a small guilty smile while rubbing the back of his neck.

“Don’t move or we’ll shoot,” one of the men shouted in warning to the group. Everyone gave them heated glares.

“What the fuck do you want from us,” Kim shouted before she could get control of her mouth, but in the end it all came spilling out. “What do you want us to do? Be your little test subjects? Let you perform all your little experiments on us? Teach you what we know so you can abuse it?”

“You don’t know what we would do,” the man stated harshly, staring disdainfully at the girl with the sharp tongue. “Everyone would fear us, and we rule the world with that kind of power. It’s all for the greater good. If I had your powers, imagine all the things I could do? I could rule this nation, and take out anyone who stands in my way,” the man exclaimed with a wicked smile on his face.

“That is so messed up,” Naruto growled out. “How could you say that? What about all the other people in the world?”

“Yeah,” Jade piped in. “Aren’t you part of the U.S. military? Isn’t it your job to protect everyone?”

“I don’t care what happens to them.”  The man started grinning. “I guess I should tell you a secret now. Might as well tell you all the truth now, right? I’m not a part of the army. I run an organization of assassins. We’re not hired assassins though. We’re more set on ending all wars and establishing a new order, and with your powers we could very well accomplish our goals.”

Nagato inwardly groaned in embarrassment. Had he really sounded like that? Though he had to admit he wanted the power for the right reasons. He wanted to bring peace to the shinobi world, and this man wanted to take over the world. In the end, he had been brought out of the darkness and back into the light thanks to his blond haired cousin.

“Your so fucked up in the head, if you think we’re going to teach you what we know just so you can take of the world,” Kim shouted, outraged. Did that man think they were stupid?

The man walked over to her. He lifted up a hand from behind his back, and cupped the girl’s cheek. Kim narrowed he eyes at him. He ran his thumb back and forth on her cheek feeling the softness of her skin. He chucked in Ren’s direction, which puzzled everyone.

“You should learn to watch your mouth, you little bitch,” the man growled into her ear. The dark haired girl just stared in shock with widened eyes as the man raised his hand against her. Didn’t they have rules against harming civilians?

Later on he would apologize, but he couldn't say he regretted his next actions because in all honesty he didn't regret them, not one bit. Although, what he could not believe was that he did something Naruto would have been the most likely candidate for. Kakashi lunged forwards and punched the leader of the assassins, preventing him from laying a hand on the woman he loved. The force behind the hit was so hard that the man flew into the television that was mounted high on the wall. The wall was caved in where the man hat hit, nearly landing him in the coat room. Everyone in the room watched as the man fell forward onto the ground face first. When he looked up they could all see where little shards of glass from the broken windows had imbedded themselves in his face.

Everyone was stunned to silence after bearing witness to Kakashi’s outright display of rage, though they understood why he acted the way he did. They had all heard what the man had called Kim and when he began to raise his had at the girl, they were all ready to take action. What they never expected was Kakashi to have that sort of reaction or any kind of reaction at all. He was the most levelheaded person out of the group, and always handled things calmly. Anyone who had ever worked with him could attest to that.

The men that were surrounding the groups were shocked into stillness. They hadn't even seen the white haired twelve-year-old move a muscle, only a while blur. He was that fast. They had all been briefed that the group had possessed strange powers, but they believed they would be able to handle anything they could throw at them. Seeing them in action had put them off, way off. They were no longer sure if they would be able to go against them.


	45. Surrounded

“Don’t just stand there, you idiots,” the man with the graying brown hair, who turned out to be the leader of a group of assassins trying to take over the world, roared as he shakily heaved himself up from the ground. Rivulets of blood ran down the length of his arms and face from where pieces of glass had embedded themselves into his skin. Placing on hand on his knee to steady himself, he gave a death glare to ninja. “Get them!” As soon as he gave his men their order to attack, the unnamed leader of the assassins stood up straight, jumped out of the window, and made his getaway.

After receiving their orders, it was safe to say that all hell broke loose. The soldiers, who turned out to be highly trained assassins, attempted to herd them into the kitchen area. When the men started to close in on the ninja, they reacted quickly and started to fight back the best they could in closed quarters. While they fended off the assassins, they started to slowly make their way towards the broken windows and jump out, one by one, until they were all standing behind the shop, facing the woods.

In the end, it turned out to be a bad idea. They were surrounded by even more men in bulky black uniforms armed with even more guns. The men and women surrounding them started to take aim and began to fire. The ninja, not wanting to find out how it would feel to be shot, got out of the way and started to dodge the barrage of bullets or deflect them with chakra enhanced kunai.

To make matters even worse, there were three helicopters hovering just above the tree line, most likely carrying more men with loaded weapons, possibly snipers onboard, and other men in surveillance van or on motorcycles. Jade had to hold back a snort when she saw that the motorcycles were ‘Ninja’ motorcycles. She highly doubted that those motorcycles could keep up with an actual ninja.

Suddenly they were all blinded by spotlights being shined on them from above by the helicopters.

“What do we do now,” Hinata gasped, deflecting a bullet that was aimed at her chest, her quiet voice just barely being heard over the engines of the vehicles and the helicopters' blades cutting the wind.

“We fight our way out of here,” Kakashi answered her, taking charge of the situation. “But don’t use anything too dangerous unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want to try anything too risky, and wind up hurting one another. Also nothing to flashy. We don’t need to draw any more attention to us than we already have.”

“Let’s kick some bad guy butt,” Naruto and Kim shouted together, which really freaked everyone out. The two were a little too much alike at times. Jade was only happy that her dark haired best friend had finally broken out of her shell, and revealed the pearl that was hidden within.

“Let’s avoid anything major, and just get out of here,” Konan, being the voice of reason, stated. They had no idea what they were up against along with how many more assassins could be on the way. Hinata had previously confirmed that they were completely outnumbered, and despite them knowing the types of weapons they were facing, they were hardly able to keep up with the onslaught of bullets. Not to mention, the possibility of explosives or various types of gasses.

Naruto was about to start complaining when Nagato stepped forward, and grabbed his cousin by the arm before disappearing into the woods with the others hurriedly following after the Uzumaki duo. They were all head towards the same destination, the clearing deep within the woods, as bullets whizzed passed them.

When they finally reached the clearing, they soon realized their mistake. They had walked right in to a trap. The assassins knew they would try to avoid putting the lives of civilians in danger, and would try to escape into the woods, but they were prepared. They had more men hidden within the forest, which was out of Hinata's Byakugan's line of sight, waiting for the ninja to arrive. Once the ninja were in the woods, the men quickly surrounded them. The helicopters with their bright spotlights flew overhead, and the men on the motorcycles weaved through the trees trying to get closer.

They shinobi were, once again, surrounded, and quickly got back into that familiar circular formation, weapons at the ready.

“Where did Sasuke go,” Hana asked frantically, worry heavily coating her voice. While everyone else was busy looking around for an escape route, she had looked around to check on everyone, and noticed that the youngest Uchiha was missing. The thought that the dark haired boy had been captured flashed through their minds, but they shrugged it off. He was Sasuke, and he would not let himself be so easily captured. Even if he had been captured, he would not have gone without putting up a fight.

Swoosh. Everyone, including the armed terrorists, snapped their heads up towards where the sound had come from. Standing between Kim and Naruto, was none other than a smirking Sasuke Uchiha.

“Bastard! Where the hell did you go,” the dark haired boy’s blond best friend shouted in outrage. “We thought you had been captured, dattebayo!”

“Hn, I’m not you, moron. I won’t be so easily taken,” Sasuke replied with a smirk.

‘Foolish little brother, you should not underestimate your best friend. He’s a lot harder to capture than one might think,’ Itachi thought to himself. The other three Akatsuki members were thinking of something along the same lines, because they knew first hand that it was more than extremely difficult to capture the blond haired Jinchuriki.

The sunshine-haired boy fumed and was about to make a retort when the indigo haired girl, who was standing beside him, pinched the back of his upper arm. Naruto spun around with wide eyes to face the girl.

“Hina-chan that hurt, dattebayo,” the Jinchuriki whined, as he grasped the back of his arm as if he was in unbearable pain. Crocodile tears were starting to gather at the corner of his eyes and his lower lip jutted outwards, completing the look of a child who had been told that he could not have the toy he wanted.

“S...Sorry Naruto-kun,” the Hyuuga heiress fumbled over her words when she saw the, fake, hurt look on her beloved’s face. She didn't know what had come over her, but she did know that she was just trying to prevent Naruto and Sasuke from getting into another one of their arguments, because if that had happened then they would really be in trouble. The two best friends would start by shooting insults at each other, then they would move on to a shouting match, after that they would start throwing a couple punches, and finally they would end up in a heated battle. None of that would be good considering the current situation that they all found themselves in.

Apparently, the shy girl had stayed too quiet for too long for the blond’s liking, which caused her crush to get the wrong idea. Naruto started to panic, thinking that the dark haired girl was going to start crying. He didn't know what to do when a girl started to cry, but he felt that he should do something, considering it was his fault for making her cry.

“Aw... Hina-chan it’s okay, ‘ttebayo,” the blond chirped as he slung an arm around the girl’s shoulders and brought her in for a side-hug while resting his head on her shoulder. Hinata blushed prettily, and started to twiddle her pointer fingers while looking down at her feet, enjoying the feel of her crush’s arms around her. The indigo haired girl had really come a long way since arriving in the different dimension. If Naruto had tried to utter a single word to her, she would have overheated and fainted, but not anymore. She had gotten to learn more about the boy than she could have ever wished, while at the same time he got to learn more about her.

“Is this really the time to be goofing off,” Kakashi asked sardonically, snapping everyone’s attention towards him. The Jonin had a point. They were all standing in the very same circle formation that they had stood in back inside the loft. The only difference being, they were outside in the clearing they used for training.

“Where did you go,” Kim asked turning to face her younger brother, head was tilted to the side in confusion. Then a look of understanding crossed her face before it was replaced by a look of rage. “You dumbass! This is not the time to be taking bathroom breaks!”

“I didn’t go to the bathroom,” the duck-butt haired boy shouted back, a pout marring his features.

“Knock it off,” Itachi ordered form where he was standing. When he realized that the two were not paying him any attention, and continued to argue, his left eye started to develop a twitch. In the blink of an eye, the eldest Uchiha was standing behind his so-called younger siblings with both of his hands balled in fists raised above their heads. He swiftly brought both fists down on their heads, causing them to clutch at their heads, and wince in pain. He then weaseled his way in between the two in an attempt to assure that they would not start a fight.

“Heh, what idiots,” a random voice chuckled.

“They’ll be pretty easy to take down,” another voice called out excitedly. The others that were surrounding the group were starting to get anxious with excitement. They were shifting from foot to foot, getting ready to make their move.

“Yeah! All they’ve done is run away,” another man added. “They’re not as tough as they think.”

“I think I’ll have me a bit of fun with the pink haired one,” one of the more of men called out. Sasuke narrowed his eyes in anger. Before anyone could actually comprehend what was happening, the youngest Uchiha was standing behind the crass man with his Kusanagi raised in the air, blood slowly dripping off the blade of the sword. The man who had made the racy comment, slowly fell to his knees as blood gushed out of the wound on his neck before finally hitting the ground face first where a puddle of his own blood formed around his corpse.

Seeing their comrade get cut down right before their eyes, caused the assassins to be stunned into stillness. After that small display of the ninja’s true powers, the assassins finally started to see them as a threat and stopped underestimating them. They hadn't even seen the boy move. Yet somehow, he had managed to get behind them and take out one of their men silently. If it had not been for the man’s startled cry or the tangy scent of rust and salt lingering in the air, they would have never had noticed anything was amiss.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was just as shocked, albeit for completely different reasons, but still shocked nonetheless. After a second of thought, he realized that it was only on reflex that he jumped out to defend his former pink haired teammate. While they were still a team, he had protected her and saved her enough times for it to become second nature to him. Some habits really did die hard.

Lowering his sword, he glanced up and he didn't like the smirks on his older siblings’ faces. The dark haired boy quickly body flickered back over to where the group was and stood next to his blond haired best friend, who looked a little peeved that he wasn't the one to make the first move, and look like a total badass while doing so.

Finally, the assassins seem to snap out of their daze. They could no longer afford to underestimate the group of preteens. There had to be a reason why their leader wanted them, and if they can all move like that boy with the odd hairstyle, then they were not to be taken lightly. Maybe once they had successfully captured the ninja, they would be able to learn the things that they did. If that were the case, then they would surely become powerful.

Looks of excitement and glee were all that could be seen on the faces of the men, before their expressions turned deadly. They were out for blood, and they did not care that their comrade laid dead in a puddle of his own blood. All they wanted was to capture the ninja in hopes of obtaining their powers. Even though they didn't know all of what the ninja were capable of, they didn't care. Their lust for unimaginable power grew.

Weapons all around were lifted up and aimed at the group that was standing in a circle formation in the center of the clearing.

“Okay guys,” Ren shouted out to the others, gaining their attention in hopes of taking control of the situation. He then reached both hands to the waistband of his pants and pulled out two identical handguns. The rest of the group followed the man’s lead and reached out for weapons of their own. With a gun in each hand, Ren started to fire off at the enemy as he shouted orders to the others. __


	46. A New Path

The battle against the assassins was sort lived, thanks to the combined efforts of the Konoha ninja, the former Akatsuki members, and Kim, Jade, and Ren. Deidara had to admit that Itachi's exploding shadow clones were beautiful works of art, which probably had more to do with the fact that he got to see his stoic rival explode multiple times. Kim, much to everyone's surprise, turned out to be a pyromaniac as she performed fire jutsu after fire jutsu, even managing to combine fire chakra with wind chakra and create a flamethrower-justu of sorts. Jade's sleep-mist jutsu, combined with Sakura's chakra scalpels proved deadly; the redhead would make their opponents drowsy while the pink haired girl would incapacitate them. Kakashi and Sasuke fought side by side, cutting the enemy down at dizzying speeds, armed only with a pair of kunai and the Kusanagi. Assassins kept getting mummified in Konan's paper, and skewered by Nagato's chakra receivers. Hana was limited in her arsenal of Jutsu since she did not have the Haimaru triplets with her, but that didn't seem to hinder her in any way as she brutally tore through enemy ranks.

When the battle was over, everyone worked to gather the dead bodies of the fallen assassins in a pile to be dealt with. As it would turn out, the leader of the assassins had not retreated as they were lead to believe when he made his escape, and fired a single bullet in Kim's direction before ascending the rope ladder that had dropped down from the last operating helicopter. Ren used the body flicker technique, and used his body to shield his daughter.

Everyone could only watch in abject horror as Ren took the hit that was meant for his daughter.

"I love you," Ren whispered before he was rendered unconscious from the excruciating pain.

Kim let out a blood curdling scream as she father's body fell limp in her arms, causing her to fall over onto the ground. The girl tried to regain her wits about her, and attempted to stop the bleeding in his chest by placing her hands over the open wound. She cursed herself for not bothering to learn Medical Ninjutsu when she had the chance. She was vaguely aware of being bodily restrained and lifted up and away from her father as Sakura, Hinata, and Hana took over her father's treatment.

Jade collapsed to her knees sobbing for fear of losing the man who was like a father to her. Deidara knelt down and pulled the redhead's shaking form into his arms. Naruto let his tears run down his face as Sasuke silently stood beside him, both hating themselves for not being able to do anything. Itachi wrapped his arms around the two sullen boy, in an attempt at comfort. Nagato sat with his legs spread out in front of him, intently staring a head. Konan kneeled behind her childhood best friend with her arms wrapped around his shoulders. None of them could take their eyes off of the three medics as they worked to save the life of the man who had so graciously and warmly accepted them into his home. They were so consumed with their thoughts about the felled man, no one even noticed that they had been returned to their original ages or the fact that a few of them seemed to be five years younger.

Kakashi moved out of the clearing, taking a kicking and screaming Kim along with him. He threw her onto the ground when she somehow managed to knee him in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. When she tried to crawl back to her father, the man had to pin her to the ground, which only seemed to make her fight harder against him. As she thrashed beneath him she hysterically begged him to let her go back to help.

"You can't go back," Kakashi reasoned, talking hold of her wrists and holding the down high above her head as he was forced to use his full body weight to keep her still. "You're not trained in Medical Ninjutsu, and you're clearly in shock. If you try to help, you'll only make it worse." He released the hold he had on her wrists as she seemed to calm down. "Sakura will do her best, you know this."

When she opened her eyes, the white haired Jonin was startled to see her eyes glowing a blood red and instead of the three commas, there were three rings connected by a thin line and the three rings seeming to swirl into the pupil like a pinwheel. The appearance of the Mangekyo Sharingan didn't surprise Kakashi as much as the hollowness he saw in her eyes.

"What can I do," she asked in a choked sob, grasping the front of Kakashi's torn shirt in her fists.

"You can believe that Sakura knows exactly what she's doing," he supplied, touching his lips to her forehead.

***

"I have no idea what I'm doing," Sakura cried as she fluttered around Ren's prone form. Never before had she dealt with a gunshot wound. Back in the Elemental Nations, a shot to the chest usually meant sudden death. Gunshot wounds were new territory, and that was exactly why she had Itachi, sitting off to the side, doing quick research.

At some point, they had managed to move Ren from the clearing in the woods to his bedroom where they had set up a makeshift operating room. Everything Ren had on top of his dresser was cleared away and replaced with all the medical equipment Sakura carried in her scrolls. A tv table was set up beside the bed carrying a tray sterilized surgical instruments.

Hinata's pale lavender eyes roamed over Ren's chest. "Sakura! Stay still! Try not to move him to much," the quiet girl ordered, causing everyone in the room to still and fall silent, even Itachi's furious typing. "The bullet is just about an inch away from hitting the carotid."

"It says here, to be carful when performing the extraction because any wrong movement could cause the bullet to discharge," Itachi spoke up for the first time since they had remodeled the room. He then launched into a detailed recollection of his findings.

"Alright then," Sakura exhaled after the Uchiha had finished dumping a boatload of new and terrifying information on her. She looked over to Hinata who stood beside the medical tray with her Byakugan activated. Then she met Hana's intense gaze. Holding out her gloved hand to the Hyuga, she called out, "Ten blade."

***

Jade couldn't stay still. Despite he boyfriend's best intentions, she was filled to the brim with nervous energy. She knew from the moment those men had broken in that they would no longer be able to stay at the loft. With that in mind, she busied herself by packing up everything and sealing it all into scroll she had nicked off of Nagato. First she started packing away everything in the two downstairs bedrooms and bathrooms along with the tiny laundry room. Then eventually she made it to the kitchen and living room areas of the house.

It was as she was sealing away the last of the cookware, Hana tiredly made her way down the staircase. Seeing the girl was like a stick to their senses as they all rushed over to her desperate for an update. The first thing they noticed was the blood splatters covering the front of her clothes. Her tired eyes coupled with the blood, made them reluctant to hear what she had to say, already fearing the worst.

"How is he," Kim asked from behind the others, Kakashi keeping a steadying grip on her upper arms.

"There were some complications," Hana started, beginning to hate herself for what she was about to say. "And we had to place him in a medically induced coma. Kim, I'm sorry."

"But, he'll wake up, right," the ebony haired girl asked, clutching at straws as she backed up into Kakashi's chest.

"Yes," Sakura answered without a shadow of doubt as she entered the living room. "But he needs around the clock medical care. He needs a hospital."

Any hospital was out of the question. It was only a matter of time before the assassins returned, and it wouldn't be fair to put the hospital staff and the other patients in danger. On the other hand, a hospital in a different dimension whose staff was littered with trained combatants some even being assassins themselves seemed like the optimal choice.

"I guess it's time for you guys to go," Kim spoke softly, making her choice. All that mattered was that her father was going to live, even if it was in a different dimension... even if it meant never seeing him again. She trusted they would take care of him.

"You're coming with us," Sasuke stated. "We can't just leave you here."

"My father was a double agent. He infiltrated their ranks on orders of the government. He was loyal and would do anything to ensure that his country was safe," she explained. "Their leader got away, and he's more than likely to find more men to replace the ones that he lost tonight."

"You want revenge," Sasuke surmised, not liking the way the word felt on his tongue. Once upon a time, he would have been all for the notion of revenge, but after finally achieving it, he couldn't say he felt the same. It left him broken and alone.

"No, I don't," Kim replied, looking in to the younger boy's eyes. She flashed him a kind smile. "Revenge only leaves a person feeling empty, and it won't undo what's already been done. If I did, what would happen once I've gotten my revenge, what would be left for me other than loneliness and misery? I want to continue what my father started, and I can't do that if I'm not here. I want to protect the people he fought so hard to protect."

Jade was at a loss, she didn't want to leave her best friend behind. Now that Ren was heading for the Elemental Nations along with the others, Kim would be left all alone.

"I'll help you," Jade stated with absolute certainty in her voice. "It's the least I could do after everything he's done for me."

"Jade," Kim said softly, turning to face the girl. "You don't have to do this."

"And your father didn't have to treat me like I was his own daughter, but he did," Jade reminded her best friend.

"Thank you," the dark haired girl whispered.

"I'll stay here as well, un," Deidara announced, shocking everyone with his decision. "Don't worry Weasel, Sausage; I'll keep your sister safe." He chuckled at the twin glares he received from the two brothers. It was his last chance to piss off the Uchiha, he wasn't going to waste it.

"Where will you guys go," Konan asked. "If you stay here, you'll be sitting ducks. We were under surveillance for weeks and didn't even notice."

"My father was always prepared for the worst. He has a safe house somewhere in Nevada," Kim explained. "All of you guys have made my life... well crazy, and made me feel things I never thought I could these past few months. I'm really going to miss all of you."

"Awww, nee-chan," Naruto cried, tackling the dark eyed girl in a bear hug.

"You will make an awesome Hokage someday, Naru-chan." She then lifted her head to look at Nagato and Konan. "The Akatsuki, Yahiko's Akatsuki will be the bridge to peace, and Naruto will be the one to lead everyone across that bridge."

"Thank you," Nagato and Konan said in unison.

"I know that you two don't exactly like to express yourselves in front of others," she said after she had lead the two over to the small hallway for some semblance of privacy.

"You don't have to stay," Sasuke tried. It felt like he had just met her, and now he was about to lose her.

"Sasuke," Itachi chided, laying a hand on his foolish little brother's shoulder. Although he felt the exact same way as his little brother, he wouldn't stop her from doing what she believed was right.

"It's okay. I don't want you guys to go either, but this is something we have to do. I'm really going to miss you guys," and with that she threw her arms around the two Uchiha brothers and pulled them into hug. "You guys are the best brothers a girl could have ever asked for! Please remember, that whatever you guys decide to do with your lives, I will always love you."

***

"There's no chance that I could change your mind," Kakashi joked that night, walking into her bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

"I'm afraid not," Kim replied with a small smile, which he returned. She threw all caution to the wind as she ran and jumped on Kakashi. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, bringing her body as close to his as possibly. Kakashi lost his balance and landed on his backside. He pulled down his mask and breathed in her scent trying to commit it memory, before firmly planting his lips on hers in a searing kiss.

"You know that I can pull a Deidara, and stay behind as well," Kakashi murmured in between kisses. She pulled away and gave him a stern look which the man didn't see as he was too distracted by her heaving chest pushed up in his face. When she had lost her shirt, he didn't know. What he did know, was that the red lace was exponentially distracting.

"With the Godaime Hokage in a coma, and Danzo dead, Konoha is going to need a new Hokage, and Naruto is still not ready." She continued after Kakashi gave her a look of distaste. "You're the only one that can do it, and you've already been nominated. Besides, I think you would be the hottest Kage to have ever lived."

"I wish you would change your mind," she gave him a sad look and he had to fight the urge to look away, "but I understand and I respect what you're doing."

"Maybe if things were different then we could be together. Maybe in some alternate universe we're able to be together." She leaned her forehead on his and looked deep into his eyes.

"You know, I think I might love you," Kakashi whispered making her eyes go wide, before placing a kiss on her lips. He lifted himself up off the floor, taking her with him. Tossing her on the bed he smiled as she let out a giggle when her back hit the bed making her bounce.   Removing his shirt before crawling over her, he leaned in close and whispered, "No... I know I love you."

"I love you, too."

***

The next morning found everyone was standing in what was left of the clearing. Deidara, Jade, and Kim, stood off to the side, while the others stood in its center. Sasuke and Itachi were giving Kakashi dirty looks that promised lots of pain, Nagato was wiggling his eyebrows at the white haired male, and Naruto was clueless as ever.

Kakashi began to form the needed hand seals, and just as he was about to perform the last few Naruto asked, "Kakashi-sensei why do you have a flower in your hair? I almost didn't see it." The glares the Uchiha brothers were sending him intensified and Nagato doubled over laughing.

Sakura, along with everyone else that heard the blond's question, looked at her sensei's hair and saw the white flower, and slipped into teacher mode. "The carnation, in general, is a symbolic flower that has to do with the bonds of affection. It's a symbol, also, of health and energy, along with fascination and love. White carnations symbolize sweetness and loveliness. They are also symbols of innocence and pure love," Sakura explained. "A carnation that is a solid color means "Yes."

At that last statement, a big dopy smile seemed to take over Kakashi's features, and caused his heart to soar. As he performed the last of the hand seals, he felt as if he could take on the world. With the last hand seal in place, a swirl started to take over everyone's bodies and they were gone in a brilliant white light.

"Hey Kim, did you see that smile on Kakashi's face? What was he so happy about," Jade prodded her friend for answers.

"I don't really know," Kim answered, confusion clear as day on her soft features.

"Whatever, let's go to Nevada! I hope your father built that safe house near Las Vegas, un," Deidara shouted, the prospect of finally know what was so amazing about Las Vegas to much to resist.

"I'll catch up to you guys in a little bit," Kim told her friends. Jade gave her a knowing look, before dragging Deidara away to go and pack what was left of their belongings along with the everything else in the loft.

Kim stood in the center of the clearing. The wind blew her hair into her face, but it did not bother her. The rays of the rising sun warmed her body. A new day was about to begin, and with a new day, life goes on. Her father may be off to another dimension, but she had the feeling they would see each other again, someday.

***

In the early morning light, Kakashi looked down at the ebony haired girl laying peacefully beside him with her head resting on his chest and a leg thrown over his hip. Her lips were cherry red and swollen from his kisses, and her hair was a wild mess tumbling down her back. She had never looked more beautiful than she did in that moment.

"If things were different, and we could be together, what would you say if I asked you to marry me?" She didn't respond to his question. Her eyes were watery as she pulled out a flower from the vase beside her bed and gently placed it in his hair, placing one more kiss on his lips as he pulled her closer.

END


End file.
